


Loving An Avenger

by chaosgroupie



Category: Actor RPF, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Cinematic Universe RPF, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-10-16
Packaged: 2020-10-25 00:23:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 55,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20715029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaosgroupie/pseuds/chaosgroupie
Summary: One day Daisy decides to send her favorite actor, Sebastian Stan, a message on Instagram. She doesn't expect him to reply, so when he does she is surprised. They start to chat. This story is about the progression of that chatting.





	1. Reaching Out

May 31 

Laying in bed, I looked through Instagram pictures, stopping on one of the many accounts I followed that posted memes and photos of Sebastian Stan. His blue eyes stared out from the screen, a wide grin on his face. The face that made things low in my belly twinge with desire. Maybe not the most handsome man alive, but definitely the most handsome man that I could ever imagine.

Before I rolled over to fall asleep, I opened his account, looking at the last picture he posted where he had highlights in his hair for a movie. I had been thinking about doing something for a long time, and now seemed like a good of a time as any. I clicked to send him a message. It opened and I stared at the screen. Was I going to do this? Send a message to the man that held a piece of my heart? Smiling, I decided to just do it and started to type.

_ I know I have a greater chance of being sucked into a black hole than you ever seeing or replying to this message, but I really wanted to say something to you. Even if you never see it, I will at least know that I did it. _

_ As a woman in her thirties, who has become basically what amounts to a hermit when she’s not at work because of social anxiety and low self-esteem, it’s refreshing to see an actor who is so open about their insecurities. Especially given the fact that you are gorgeous and funny. I know everyone has things about themselves that they would like to change and that just because someone might look at them and think they’re perfect, that doesn’t mean inside their head isn’t telling them that they aren’t worthy. _

_ I guess what I’m trying to say is thank you. Thank you for being so open about yourself, for being refreshingly real in an occupation that deals with making people believe you are someone you’re not. The fact that you overcame so much to make it to where you are today, gives me hope that someday I might be able to do the same. _

_ You really are loved by so many people. When I look at you, I don’t see the gorgeous face, or the hot body (although you do have both). I see the man behind the grin, the one who loves his fans with every fiber of his being, and put his heart and soul into each character he plays. _

_ Thank you for being yourself, for showing the world parts of you that you could very easily keep hidden away from the world. Thank you for always being there for your fans, and for being so happy every time you meet one of us. Thank you for being such an awesome actor that we can tell what the character is thinking without them saying a word. I truly look forward to all the movies coming that you star in. Even ones I normally wouldn’t see. _

_ Just another fan, _

_ Daisy _

Closing Instagram, I turned my phone over and shut off my light. If I let myself, I would sit there, staring at the phone obsessively to see if he replied. Since I knew he never would, staring at my phone would only make me sad. One of the few things in life I wanted more than anything was to meet Sebastian Stan. But they always say, don’t meet your heroes in real life because you will only be disappointed. Luckily, that would never happen so I didn’t have anything to worry about.

June 8

A week passed, no response from Sebastian. Not that I expected one. I had held out a slim hope that maybe, just maybe, he would see my message and respond. But reality was often disappointing. Laying in bed, unable to fall asleep, I scrolled through my Instagram feed then saw the notification that I had a message.

Flipping over to that screen, I saw Sebastian had responded. My finger hovered over his name, unsure if I should see what he said. On one hand, I really wanted to see. My heart pounded with anticipation. On the other hand, I didn’t want to know if he thought I was a crazy stalker chick.

My curiosity won out and I clicked on his name.

_ SEBASTIAN: Thank you for your kind message. Words alone cannot express how much it meant to me, especially right now. I won’t burden you with my drama, but suffice to say, I am glad I clicked on your message. As I was going to delete it, I noticed the part about being sucked into a black hole and literally laughed out loud. I was sitting on the subway and people looked at me like I was mad. Maybe I am, just a little, but you brightened my day considerably so I wanted to return the favor. So, thank you, Daisy. Thank you for making me smile. _

I hesitated briefly, unsure if I should reply. His message didn’t really leave room for me to respond, but I didn’t want to leave it at that. He sounded like something was wrong, and that mothering instinct I thought I lacked came racing to the forefront of my mind. Fingers raised above the keyboard, I started typing.

_ ME: I’m actually amazed that you responded to me. I thought for certain that you wouldn’t. Not because you wouldn’t want to respond to all your fans, but simply because I’m sure you get a preponderance of messages from adoring fans all telling you that they are dying to meet you. So taking time out to answer any of them would mean you had no time left for anything else. I’m glad that my message helped brighten your day, even if only a little. Whenever I’m feeling blue, if I see a picture of you on social media where you are smiling, it makes me smile too. Hopefully, that doesn’t sound too creepy or stalkerish, but you have a very infectious smile. Especially when you are genuinely happy. _

After I sent it, I waited a bit to see if he would reply. Nothing came, so I decided to send a little bit more.

_ ME: I know that you don’t know me, but if you need someone to talk to who will be a neutral party, I can listen. I’ll even swear on my left kidney that I won’t tell anyone anything you say to me. I have a good job where I make good money, so I don’t need to sell your secrets to the tabloids for a couple thousand dollars. There was just something about your message that seemed like you might need someone to talk to. If you don’t want to talk to a stranger, maybe you can call up one of your friends. I know, probably better than most, how bottling up your emotions is a bad thing. I went through a really bad patch a few years ago, where I did a lot of stupid things trying to feel better. I’m still alive, but there was a time where I didn’t know if I would live to see the next morning. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m willing to lend my ear if you need someone to talk to. _

Placing my phone face down on my chest, I closed my eyes. I couldn’t believe what I had just sent to him. No one, and I mean no one, knew how close I had come to doing something irreversible when I was depressed. No one knew that I had tried to purposefully become an alcoholic to fix my pain, and when that didn’t work, tried pain instead. But I just blurted out to a celebrity that I had contemplated suicide. Why did I do that?

My phone dinged and I flipped it over. Sebastian had replied.

_ SEBASTIAN: I’m sorry to hear that. I’m glad things got better for you. _

_ SEBASTIAN: Sorry, that came out weird. I never know what to say when people talk about stuff like that. Just saying that you’re sorry for what they went through doesn’t really seem to cut it. And thanks for your offer, but putting my problems onto a place like Instagram is a surefire way to end up with the whole world knowing. Screen captures are everyone's worst nightmare. Especially if you’re the President. _

_ ME: I understand. The offer still stands. However you want to do it. All I know is that if back then I had someone to talk with, things might have been different. _

_ SEBASTIAN: It’s nothing that bad, I promise. Just an exceptionally bad day. _

_ ME: That’s good at least. _

I didn’t know what else to say to him. It wasn’t like we knew each other, so there wasn’t the ease of talking with someone that you were friends with. I stared at the screen, willing him to continue our conversation. My last message hadn’t left any room for him to reply to me, so if he did, it would be because he wanted to. Several minutes passed and I was about to put my phone on my nightstand when I saw a reply.

_ SEBASTIAN: If the offer to talk still stands, I would like that. But not on Instagram. Would it be okay if I called you instead? _

_ ME: Really? _

_ SEBASTIAN: Yeah. I can’t sleep and it would help to have someone to talk to. If you’re willing that is. _

_ ME: Well, I’m not going to say no. My phone number is... _

I sent him my number and a few seconds later, my phone started ringing. I let it ring three times before answering with a timid, “Hello?”

“Daisy?” I would recognize Sebastian’s voice anywhere. He sounded weary like he carried the entire weight of the world on his shoulders. 

“Hi,” I said softly back to him.

“Hi.” He paused, “So, it’s midnight here. You’re not trying to sleep, are you?”

I pulled my phone away and saw that it said eleven, “It’s not important. Besides, I couldn’t sleep. Work has been stressful.”

“Tell me about it,” he sighed. 

“You don't want to hear about my work. It would bore you to tears. Trust me, it bores me to tears most days.”

“Then tell me something about yourself.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Anything.” He paused, “Hearing your voice is helping. I just… I guess I needed someone to talk to more than I thought.”

Taking a few seconds, I thought about what to say. A slow smile crossed my face, “Well, I suppose we could talk about your movie.”

“Which one?”

“Oh, the one that I swore up and down I would never go see until a guy I work with told me I just had to go and see it. He convinced me that it would be worth it. I bawled like a baby through the entire thing.”

He chuckled, “I’m guessing you’re talking about Endgame.”

“And he got it in one guess. You get a digital cookie, sir,” I tried to make my voice sound like an announcer of a game show. Taking a breath, I continued, “I was a little sad you didn’t have a bigger role in the movie. But I guess it made sense because Bucky did disappear after the snap. I don’t regret seeing it, but I would only give it a three out of five.”

“Color me curious,” he was starting to sound a little less upset. “Why only three?”

“I think it’s more, how did it manage to get three in the first place?”

Sebastian burst out into laughter and the sound became muffled briefly. He must have pulled the phone away from him to lessen the sound. When he came back, he sounded happy, “I’ll bite. How did it manage to get a three?”

“First, it would have gotten four if I was willing to see it again. That is a big thing for me. Am I willing to see a movie again? It’s actually the biggest thing for me. And my answer for Endgame is a solid no to seeing it again.” I took a deep breath, “I gave it one point for how extremely beautiful the movie was. The acting was superb, from the entire cast, I really felt like I was immersed in the story.” Closing my eyes, I continued, “Another point for the parts that made me ugly cry in the theater. When Natasha died… When Tony died… When all the heroes showed up to fight Thanos. I spent probably eighty percent of the movie with tears rolling down my cheeks.”

“That’s two points. What was the third for?”

“I love the Marvel movies. As much as I hate to admit it, I enjoyed almost the entire thing. But I don’t like depressing movies, which is why I won’t see it again. That, and the ending.” I sighed, “There was only one part I hated, and I’m not sure if it’s an unpopular opinion or not, but I just pretend it didn’t happen.”

His low chuckle sent shivers down my spine, “What’s the unpopular opinion?”

“I hated how they completed Captain America’s storyline. I mean, capital H, hated. I couldn’t believe that he would run away from the family that he had found, from his best friend whom he had just gotten back to a woman he barely knew.” I choked back a sound of disgust, “I know that as a woman, I probably should have thought it was romantic that he got his dance with her. But honestly, I just felt the whole thing was creepy. She lived a whole life without him and he went back in time and took that all away from her.” I continued, not wanting him to argue with me, “But the thing that bothered me the most was the fact that he went back in time and didn’t save Bucky. Bucky, who was being tortured while he ate dinner with a woman he pined over for twelve years, not moving on.”

“Are you finished?” he sounded amused.

“Yeah.”

“If I tell you something, you have to promise to never share this with anyone. And I mean, anyone.”

“I won’t. I swear.”

“Chris and I feel the same.”

I felt elated, “Yes! I knew it!”

His laughter got muffled again. When he spoke, he sounded happy, “Yeah, he really didn’t like the end, but since he wanted to be done with Marvel movies so he could move on to other projects, he didn’t really have a say in how they ended his storyline. And your opinion isn’t unpopular, there are a lot of fans who agree with you. To be honest, that hurts Chris a lot. Every time someone brings it up, he feels like they are blaming him for the way Captain America’s story ended and he’s always upset for a long time after.”

“Oh,” I said softly. I hadn’t even thought about how that might affect him. “Well, I guess it’s a good thing I was talking to you and not him.”

I yawned loudly, my jaw cracking. Sebastian said, “You should go to sleep.”

“But, I’m having fun. I haven’t had this much fun talking on the phone in years.” I looked at the time and saw that a couple of hours had passed, putting it way past the time I usually fell asleep, “To be honest, I hate talking on the phone. Most of the time, I stop talking at about five minutes because I just can’t stand doing it anymore.”

“I enjoyed our talk too.” He paused and I could almost hear the wheels turn as he thought, his hums while he tried to think of what to say audible, “This might come off as creepy, and if it does you can just ignore the question. But, can you send me a picture? Your Instagram doesn’t have any pictures of yourself on it, and I’d really like to see what you look like.”

“Um…”

“I’m sorry, that was creepy of me.” He muttered under his breath, but I couldn’t make out what he said, “Just forget I asked.”

“It’s not that. I just… I don’t take pictures of myself, so I would have to take one right now.”

“Okay,” he sounded extremely confused.

“Hold on.” I turned on my bedside light and pulled the blanket up to make sure it covered all my important bits. Turning the camera so it faced me, I smiled and took a selfie. Not even bothering to check if it looked okay, I sent it, “There you go.”

“Thanks.” I heard rustling and then a choking noise. He came back on the phone, “Are you naked?”

Sighing, I tried not to laugh, “I’m in bed and I sleep naked, so yeah. I made sure you couldn’t see anything though.”

“Sorry, I just didn’t expect you to send me a picture like this.” He made another strangled noise before clearing his throat, “You are very beautiful.”

“Thanks, but you don’t have to say that. I know what I look like.”

“Daisy,” I could hear the frown in his voice. “I don’t say things I don’t mean. You are beautiful.”

I forced my voice to sound like I believed him, “Thanks.”

He didn’t sound convinced, but at least he didn’t argue with me, “If I call you again, would you be okay with that?” Before I could respond, he quickly said, “I enjoy talking with you. To be honest, earlier I was thinking about getting drunk to help me pass out. But then we started talking and I feel infinitely better now.”

“So, you just want to use me as a way to fall asleep, huh?” I couldn’t keep the mirth out of my voice. “I mean, I guess there are worse things you could want me for.”

Again, he made that choking noise before replying, “To be honest, I haven’t felt this at ease talking with someone in longer than I can remember. If you think it’s weird, we can just leave it at that. But I enjoyed talking with you. That’s not something I find very often.”

“Well, Mr. Stan, you can call me anytime. Or text, whatever.” I knew I had a huge grin on my face, and that my voice probably indicated that, but at least he couldn’t see me. “But, I sent you a picture. Can I get one of you?”

“My face is all over the internet. Why would you want another?”

“I want one that is just for me.” I yawned again, “You don’t have to, but I would…” My phone dinged and I pulled it away to see a text message. It was just a picture of Sebastian, from the shoulders up, laying in bed. His hair was in disarray like he had been running his fingers through it, but he had a smile on his face. I brought the phone back to my ear and said softly, “Thanks. And whether you know it or not, you are an extremely attractive man, Sebastian.”

“Thanks.” He paused briefly, “Just, please don’t post that online.”

I took a deep breath and counted to ten before replying, “I’m going to let that go because you don’t know me, and therefore, have no reason to trust me. But, I would never post anything about you online without your permission. At least, I wouldn’t post anything that wasn’t already out there for the world to see. Even though you are a celebrity, you still deserve the same privacy that everyone else has.”

“Fuck, now I feel like a jackass.”

“Please don’t. I understand why you said it.” I turned off my light and yawned again, “You have my Instagram handle, so you can check what I post. I promise the picture you sent, it’s only for my eyes. There is no way in hell I would share it with anyone. Mainly, because I’m selfish. I want it all to myself.”

He laughed lightly, “Goodnight, Daisy.”

“Goodnight, Sebastian.” Before I hung up, I added, “And seriously, you can call me whenever. Even at three in the morning. I’ll answer if it wakes me up.”

“I won’t do that, but I’ll keep it in mind.” His voice came out softer, “Now, go to sleep. I can hear the exhaustion in your voice.”

“Well, it’s almost three where you are now, so you should get some sleep too.”

“As soon as you hang up, I plan to.”

“Goodnight,” I hung up without waiting for a reply. Opening the picture again, I looked at the happy smile on his face. I couldn’t believe that I would get that type of smile from him. But even if it wasn’t from tonight, I still treasured it. I sent him a brief text message.

_ ME: Goodnight, Sebastian. Sleep well. _

_ SEBASTIAN: Goodnight, Daisy. Sweet dreams. _


	2. Fanfiction

June 21

“Hey, beautiful.”

The sound of Sebastian’s voice never failed to make me smile. I looked at the time and saw it was about nine at night in New York, “Seb, how are you doing?” 

“I’m doing fantastic,” he sounded a little loopy, so I knew he had been drinking. “Today has been great, and now I get to talk to my best girl.”

I could hear a noise in the background, “What are you up to right now?”

“Watching some movie, not sure what.” He chuckled, “I just wanted to hear your voice and to ask you something.”

“I’ve always told you to ask whatever you want. If I don’t want to answer, I'll let you know.” I couldn’t keep the humor out of my voice, “Now, what is so important that you had to interrupt watching this movie that you don’t know what it is?”

“We’ve been friends for what, two weeks now?” I made an affirmative noise and he sounded even happier, “We talk about things all the time. But I want to get to know you a little better. So I was hoping that you would tell me something about yourself.”

I knew I sounded confused, but I couldn’t help it, “I’ve told you a lot about myself. What exactly are you wanting to know?”

“Well, we’ve never actually met in person, and seeing as how we live so far apart we may never get to meet.” He sounded a little depressed for a second, but then his voice perked up, “But since we are basically what amounts to pen-pals, I was hoping that you would tell me something that you wouldn’t share with anyone else.”

“God, Seb. Really?” I sighed, “There’s a reason that those things are kept a secret, you know.”

“Come on, Daisy. Live a little, have some fun,” Sebastian said. His voice sounded far away and I hear him take a drink of something, “Tell me something you’ve never shared with anyone else. Please.”

I thought back to the past couple of weeks. Sebastian and I talked on a near-daily basis. Most days, it was simple text messages back and forth, nothing too intense or long. But once or twice a week, we would stay up late talking about nothing. I would share funny anecdotes from my childhood, and he would respond in kind. We stayed away from anything too revealing, not willing to share something like that with someone we had never met. 

“You’re drunk,” I said softly.

“Not that drunk,” he laughed. “I’ve only had a few beers. And you’re avoiding the question.”

A male voice yelled, “Seb, hang up with your girlfriend and come finish the movie.”

“It sounds like you have company. Maybe we should put this off until later.”

He chuckled, “That’s just Chris.”

“Evans?” my voice rose.

“Oh,” his voice deepened, but he spoke softer so Chris wouldn’t overhear. “Does someone have a thing for Captain America?”

“To be honest, I’ve always been more of a Bucky girl. Although, Captain America is a good second best.” I smiled as he laughed loudly, “I do have a thing for baby blues and a killer smile. Not to mention, he does have America’s ass.”

“Seb,” Chris yelled again.

“I’m talking here,” he yelled back. “Sorry about that. He’s in New York for a couple of days and is staying with me. Now, where were we?”

“You wanted to know a secret, something I would never tell anyone else.”

“Yes,” he sounded eager. “Come on, for me. Please. You can’t see it, but I’m making puppy eyes at the phone.”

“Fine,” I exaggerated a sigh. “I write fanfiction.”

“Really? Please elaborate.”

“I write fanfiction of Bucky, and sometimes Steve.” Taking a deep breath, I added, “And I post them online. But you are the first person that I actually know that I've told.”

“Well, fuck. Now I really wish I had more time to read. But all I have time to read are the scripts my agent sends me.” His voice sounded pleading, “Will you read me one of your stories?”

“Seb, come on. You can talk to your girlfriend later,” Chris said, his voice sounded incredibly close to the phone.

I said, “I’m not his girlfriend.”

“Ah-ha, the mystery woman does exist,” Chris laughed. “And how are you today, mystery woman?”

“First, my name is Daisy, not mystery woman. Second, I’m talking to one of my favorite actors right now, so I bet you can imagine I’m doing pretty well.”

“Yeah, Seb is great, isn’t he?”

I chuckled, “That’s not who I was talking about, although he is pretty fucking fantastic. I was talking about you. What’s Your Number is one of my favorite rom-com movies even though I’m not a fan of Anna Farris. Your naked guitar scene was most excellent. And I'm super excited for Knive's Out this fall.”

It was Sebastian’s turn to laugh, “You should see how beet red Chris’s face is right now.” He must have picked up the phone and taken me off of speaker, because his voice sounded clearer, “Come on, read me one of your stories. Pretty please with sugar on top.”

“What will you give me if I do?” I couldn't help but play with him. "How about another picture to add to my growing collection? But I want one from right now, not something you took previously."

“Damn, you drive a hard bargain. Give me a sec.” I heard rustling and laughter from both men, then my phone dinged with a text message. It was a picture of both Chris and Sebastian, their lower lips stuck out with wide eyes, “Chris wants to hear it too if you don’t mind. I mean, you did say you wrote Bucky and Steve fanfiction, and he did play Steve.”

“Fine,” I sighed. “Put me back on speaker.” Once he did, I said, “Just try to remember, you guys asked for this.”

_ The stairs seemed to go on forever. Why I chose to live on the sixth floor of an apartment building with no elevator escaped me when I had to carry groceries, or anything heavy, up the stairs. I heard footsteps behind me and flattened against the wall, trying to make myself as small as possible. _

_ That’s when he passed me, stopping a few stairs above me. He frowned when he saw that I carried several full bags of groceries. Another downside to living on the top floor of the building… I hated making multiple trips so I always carried everything at once, if at all possible. His blue eyes met mine, almost as if he were trying to figure out what in the hell I was doing. Sighing, he held out his hands to me, a frown on his face. _

_ “Thank you, but I’ve got it,” my voice came out in barely a whisper. My next-door neighbor both terrified and excited me. He looked like he could crush my skull with one hand, but the pain I saw in his eyes whenever we passed made me want to pull him into my arms and never let go. _

“That’s Bucky, right?” Sebastian interrupted.

I heard a smack and Chris said, “Of course it is, numbskull.”

Laughing, I shook my head, grateful they couldn’t see me, “If you boys would let me continue…”

“Sorry,” Sebastian said.

_ We had never spoken to one another, merely nodded in passing. But he stood there with his hands out, waiting patiently for me to hand him the groceries. I sighed, “Truly, I’ve got this.” _

_ His voice came out hoarse, almost as if he hadn’t used it in months, “Let me help. Please.” _

_ The ache I heard when he spoke broke my heart. So, I held out the bags and he took them all from me. Giving me a grateful smile, he walked up the stairs much quicker than I could have. That left me to look at him as he climbed up the remaining four flights of stairs. _

_ Every inch of his body rippled with muscles. He reminded me of a tiger, all… _

“A tiger? Really?” This time it was Chris interrupting, “I would say it’s more like a grizzly bear. After all, I did see Seb during filming of The Winter Soldier. He was massive.”

“Yeah, and so were you,” I added, cheekily. “Have you ever seen a tiger in action? Their muscles, all bunched and tight, rippling as they lunge at their prey. To me, that visual is closer to Bucky than a grizzly bear. Now, are you guys going to keep interrupting me? Because I can stop. You still have that movie to get back to.”

Chris said quickly, “No, no. Please, continue. We want to hear it.”

_ He reminded me of a tiger, all coiled up, waiting for the right moment to strike. When we reached the sixth floor he stopped and nodded for me to go on ahead of him. I walked to my door and opened it, tensing when he entered my apartment to put the bags in the tiny kitchen. _

_ Before he could leave, I laid a hand on his arm, “Thanks.” His eyes glanced down toward my hand, then up to my face. I couldn’t read his expression, but I drew back my hand, “My name is Alice.” _

_ His eyes closed briefly. When he opened them, I could tell he was trying to figure out what to say, “James.” _

_ “James, thank you for helping me.” _

_ He nodded and left the apartment. Once I heard his door close I leaned against the wall, sighing. Five words. He had said five words to me, which is five more than he had said during the two months since he moved in. It didn’t lessen the mystery surrounding him, either. It was July and he wore a hooded sweatshirt, a glove on one hand. I could tell that he must have been hot, but yet, he still wore the same thing day in and day out. _

_ Putting away the groceries, I had an idea. It wasn’t a good idea, but I just couldn’t let him be alone any longer. I got out the ingredients and made dinner, making sure to make enough that he might actually believe I just accidentally made too much. _

_ When it finished, I made up a plate and went over to his apartment, knocking on the door. Several minutes passed while I waited for him to answer. I knew he hadn’t left, because unless he was Spiderman, he couldn’t jump out of a sixth story window. _

_ Finally, he answered the door, looking at me questioningly. I held up the plate of food, “I made too much and I wanted to say thank you.” _

_ “You already did,” his gruff voice sent shivers down my spine. _

_ Taking a step closer, I held out the plate, “I can’t eat it all and the fridges in this place are tiny. You would be doing me a favor.” I saw him glance at my hands, then heard his stomach growl, “I promise you’ll like it. It’s my mother’s recipe.” _

_ A soft smile came to his face and he took the plate, “Thanks.” _

_ He moved to close the door, but I took another step closer making that impossible, “James, if you ever need a friend, I’m just a door away.” _

_ I was close enough that I could see inside his apartment. All apartments on this floor were the same. Tiny, one room, with barely enough room to even call it liveable. But where I tried to make mine a home, his was basically empty. All he had was a mattress on the floor with a sleeping bag on top and a banged-up table with one chair. My heart broke even more after seeing how he lived. _

_ His eyes hardened and he moved closer to me, “Thank you, but I’m fine.” _

_ He tried to hand the plate back to me, but I refused it, “Just bring it back when you are done.” Then I raced back to my apartment, wanting to escape the inexplicable draw I felt toward him. _

_ Over the next couple of weeks, I made too much food every night. And every night, I would go over to his place and hand him food. A few times, he wouldn’t answer, but I could hear his footsteps stop on the other side of the door. Those nights, I would just leave the plate on the floor. Every morning, the plate would be in front of my door, clean. _

_ This night was different though. We hadn’t spoken a word since that first day, and I wanted to get to know him. I wanted to know why smiles were so hard for him to share, why he had newspaper covering his windows. Mostly, I just wanted to know him and figure out why I felt a magnetic pull toward him._

_ Knocking on his door, I waited until the footsteps stopped by the door. When it didn’t open, I frowned, “James, I was wondering if you would be willing to help me with something.” If there was one thing I had learned about him, it was that he couldn’t help but save the damsel in distress. Even if she wasn’t really in distress. _

“Yeah, that sounds like Bucky,” Chris laughed.

“Shh,” Sebastian said softly.

_ The door opened and I smiled at the man in front of me. The hoodie was gone, but he still wore a long-sleeved shirt that covered him completely. “It’s just inside my apartment.” I turned to leave, not looking back to see if he followed. I entered my apartment, leaving the door open for him. _

_ A couple of minutes later, he entered, looking around warily. When he saw two plates of food sitting on the table, he turned to leave. Rushing over, I grabbed his wrist to stop him from leaving, “James, please. I’m sorry for tricking you, but I really don’t want to be alone tonight. Will you stay?” _

_ His eyes narrowed at me, but after a few seconds, he nodded. We sat down and ate in silence. I found myself looking at him quite a bit during the meal. His left arm, the one he normally wore a glove on, he kept hidden under the table. But the muscles didn’t ripple the same way his right arm did. It wasn’t something that I could explain, so I didn’t even bother trying to figure out why. _

_ Just as I went to open my mouth to say something, I heard a loud crash. James jumped to his feet and growled, “Fuck, they found me.” _

_ “Who found you?” I rushed over to the door and locked it, making sure to latch the chain. _

_ His eyes darted around the room like a wild animal, his breathing coming out rapidly. Through the thin walls, I could hear someone in his apartment, moving things around. I placed a hand on his chest, “It’s okay, James. They can’t hurt you if they don’t know you're here.” _

_ A knock sounded at the door and we both froze. I called out, “Who is it?” _

_ A deep voice said, “Ma’am, it’s Captain America. I just have a few questions for you about your neighbor.” _

_ “Fucking hell,” James growled softly. _

_ “I won’t let him hurt you,” my voice came out barely a whisper. Saying loudly, “I’m naked, just give me a second to put on some clothes and I’ll be right there.” I moved over to the tiny closet and opened the door, whispering, “Get in here, I’ll get rid of him.” _

_ James sighed but did as I asked. The voice said, “Ma’am, this won’t take long, I promise. Please open the door.” _

_ “What? Am I not allowed to get dressed?” _

_ “Ma’am, I may have been born on a Thursday, but it wasn’t last Thursday.” _

_ Fine, two could play at that game. I stripped off all my clothes, tossing them to the side. Then I went over to the door and unlocked it, opening it wide, “What do you want?” _

_ His eyes raked up and down my body, mouth hanging open in shock. It took him several long seconds before he could even look me in the eyes, “I’m sorry, ma’am. You can put on some clothes.” _

_ Moving closer to him, I leaned against the doorframe, “No, I don’t think I will. Now, what does the hero of New York want with me?” _

_ To his credit, once his gaze trained on my face, it never went lower, “I’m looking for your neighbor, Bucky Barnes.” _

_ Frowning, I said, “Sorry, my neighbor’s name is James. I don’t know anyone named Bucky.” _

_ “Ma’am, he could be dangerous.” Out of his pocket, he pulled a business card, “Would you call me if you see him?” _

_ Ripping the card up, I let it fall to the ground, “No.” _

_ His eyes moved past me and when they widened, I knew he had seen the plates on the table, “Ma’am, are you sure you haven’t seen Buck… James lately?” _

_ When he moved forward, I stepped in front of him, forcing him to stop before he touched my naked flesh. Deciding to make him as uncomfortable as possible, I trailed a finger down his chest, stopping when I hit his belt buckle. Playing with the metal, I said in the most seductive voice I could muster, “I wouldn’t tell you if you were the Pope himself.” _

_ He made a choking noise and backed up a bit, “Ma’am, I don’t think you understand…” _

_ My anger got the better of me and I poked him in his muscular torso, “I don’t think you understand, Captain America.” I said his name with such vitriol that he blanched, “I don’t like men who try and force me to do something I don’t want to. I don’t know where this Bucky is that you keep talking about, and even if I did I sure as hell wouldn’t tell you. Now, take your self-righteous attitude and get the fuck out of my apartment before I call the cops.” _

_ He backed up and nodded, “Thank you for your time, ma’am. If you change your mind, you can find me at Stark Tower.” _

_ I shut the door and locked it, leaning my forehead against the wood. After taking several deep breaths, I turned to see James standing there, looking at me with a worried expression on his face. Unlike Captain America, his gaze never dropped below my neck. _

_ “Don’t worry, James, I won’t let him get to you.” _

_ He kept frowning, “That was Steve. Why the hell was he here?” _

_ “Steve?” _

_ Shaking his head, he sighed, “It’s a long story.” When his eyes drifted downward, a slow smile crossed over his face, “You should get dressed.” _

“And that is where I should end it,” I said softly.

“No, come on, it was just getting good,” Sebastian whined.

I laughed, “Well, first of all, I read almost the whole thing to you. It’s one of my shorter stories. Second of all, it gets kind of… erotic. I don’t think you guys want to hear that.”

“Define erotic,” Chris sounded curious.

“Well, it’s not heaving bosoms and leaving sex up to the imagination.” I sighed, “It’s a lot more graphic than that. I use words like cock and pussy to describe things in detail.”

Both men made choking noises and Chris said, “I think I’m just going to go to sleep. Thanks for the story, Daisy.”

Sebastian must have put the phone to his ear, because he said softly, “I’d like to hear it. If you are willing to finish the story.”

“Are you sure? I wasn't kidding when I said it was erotic.”

“Yes.”

“Fine.”

_ I moved closer to him, “What if I don’t want to?” Licking my lips, I kept inching closer and closer to him, not wanting him to spook. “So, why did he call you Bucky?” _

_ “My name is James Buchanan Barnes. Everyone calls me Bucky.” _

_ “Why did you tell me your name was James?” I was mere inches away from him so I moved my hands until they rested on his hips. Pulling him against me, I moaned, “Fuck, you are harder than I thought you would be.” _

_ He laughed, “Not quite yet, but I’m getting there.” _

_ “That’s not what I meant.” I reached up and trailed my fingers down his chest, “You’re like a Greek god under these baggy clothes you wear. I mean, I knew you would be built, but damn.” _

_ “To answer your question, I told you my name was James to protect you. That way, if they came looking for me, you wouldn’t know who they were asking for and so they would leave you alone.” His hands came down to rest on my ass and he pulled me closer, “Now, where were we?” _

_ I pushed back and sank to my knees in front of him. Reaching up, I undid his pants, “There’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a while now.” _

_ Pulling his pants down, my mouth watered when I saw his large, thick cock in front of my face. Grasping the base, I lifted it so I could lick from the bottom to the tip. My eyes looked up at him to watch his reaction and he didn’t disappoint. As I drew him into my mouth, his eyes darkened and he groaned. _

_ Pulling me to my feet, he kissed me hard, his cock pressing against my stomach. When he pulled back, I could barely breathe, “As much as I want to fuck that pretty mouth of yours, I would rather fuck this,” his fingers found my pussy and slipped inside. “Jesus, you’re wet.” _

_ My hands went under his shirt and I lifted it over his head, throwing it to the ground. I moved to kiss him, stopping only when I saw the metal arm. The scars that ran down the entire length and onto his chest made me sad, “Oh, Bucky.” _

_ He lifted my face, “Don’t be sad, I’ve had this for a long time.” He backed me up until I hit a wall, then lifted, positioning me above his cock, “Now, unless you say no, I’m going to fuck you hard and fast.” _

_ “Are you going to fuck me, or just talk about it?” _

_ He grinned and lowered me down. His cock filled me more than I had ever been filled before, stretching my pussy to its limits. I moaned with the combined pain and pleasure. His arms slipped under my legs and he held me against the wall, “Last chance, dragă.” _

_ I pulled his head down to mine and kissed him, “Fuck me, Bucky.” _

_ He started thrusting in and out, hard and fast just like he had said he would. It didn’t take long before I could feel my orgasm building. Looking into his eyes, I said, “Come with me.” _

_ Grabbing my ass, he carried me over to the bed and laid us down. His cock filled me up, but he didn’t move. Lifting his hips, he drove into me once, hard, “Can you scream for me?” _

_ Wrapping my legs around his hips, I pulled him tight against me, “Fuck me. Make me yours.” _

_ He started plunging in and out of me again and I slipped a hand between us, rubbing my clit furiously. As I started to come, his mouth descended on mine, capturing my scream. He started fucking me faster, hips stuttering before he came. _

_ As his cock softened, he stayed inside me, eyes soft as he looked down at me, “God, you’re beautiful.” _

_ I lifted my hands, running fingers through his shaggy locks, “And you’re fucking huge. Jesus, I don’t think I’ll be able to walk for a week after that.” _

_ He rolled to the side and pulled me against him, “Give me five minutes to recover and we can do it again.” _

_ “I don’t know if I’ll survive another round.” I turned to face him, tracing patterns on his chest, “But I’m willing to try. If I die, it’s a good way to go.” _

_ “Don’t worry, dragă, I can do this all day.” _

I finished the story and had to hide my ragged breathing from Sebastian. Writing erotic fanfiction always turned me on, it was both a curse and a blessing. I waited for him to say something, anything. He groaned, “God, I’m glad that Chris went to his room.”

“Are you have a little… difficulty?” I tried to keep the amusement out of my voice, but I knew I failed.

He groaned an erotic sound I never thought I would hear come out of him, “Fuck, what I wouldn’t give to FaceTime you right now.”

My face flushed and I was glad we couldn’t, “I don’t have an iPhone, sorry.”

“Well, damn.” He chuckled, “Let’s be honest, that’s probably a good thing right at this moment. I’m going to let you go before I push us past the point of friendship. Because, goddamn, friendship is the last thing on my mind right now." He took a deep breath, "Thanks for the story.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. But next time you want to hear a story of mine, you can read it yourself. Talking about fucking always makes me horny,” I covered my mouth. I couldn’t believe what I had just uttered.

His laugh sounded joyful, “Trust me, you aren’t the only one. Now, I’m going to hang up and take care of… my difficulty before I see if Chris wants to finish the movie.”

My pussy contracted when I imagined him stroking his cock to thoughts of my story. I had to bite my lip to hide my moan, “Well, enjoy.”

“Oh, trust me, I will. Although, it’s always more fun with another person involved.” I heard the sound of a door shut and a zipper, “I’m going to hang up now unless you want to be involved in what I do next.” His voice lowered and he groaned, “Do you want to be involved?”

“Fuck,” I felt myself grow wetter. There was nothing I wanted more than to stay on this phone call, but I knew it would only change the dynamic of our friendship to something that we couldn’t come back from. I said softly, “I don’t think that’s a good idea. Let’s just blame your question on the alcohol and the story, and I’ll pretend you didn’t ask it.”

He groaned again, softer this time. I could only imagine what he was doing. “You’re right, I’ll talk to you later. Goodnight, Daisy.”

“Goodnight, Sebastian,” I hung up the phone, my hands shaking. It took all of my willpower to not call him back. In the time we had been talking, we had become friends. I didn’t want to ruin that for a quick orgasm, no matter how amazing it might be.


	3. Aftermath

June 22 

_ SEBASTIAN: I'm sorry about last night. _

I woke up to this text message. He must have gotten up extremely early, or not been able to sleep. 

_ ME: It's fine. _

_ SEBASTIAN: No, it's not. I was horny last night and I forgot for a second that we were just friends. Trust me, I don't treat my friends that way. It was inexcusable. _

_ ME: It's fine. I'm not upset. _

_ SEBASTIAN: I was an asshole. _

I decided that texting wasn't going to get through to him, so I called. When he answered, I didn't even wait for him to say anything, "Sebastian Stan, you are not an asshole and you have nothing to apologize for. The only thing that kept me from taking you up on your offer is the fact that I don't want to lose you as a friend."

"Um, Daisy…"

"No, don't argue with me. You know I'm right. As good as it would have felt, phone sex is not…"

"Daisy," the voice yelled and I stopped talking. "It's Chris."

"But I was just texting Sebastian," again, I was glad he couldn't see me. I was pretty sure my face was bright red.

"He left his phone on the counter to go take a shower." He softened his voice, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." When Chris made a scoffing noise, I said it again, "I swear to you, I'm fine. But I don't think Seb is."

Chris lowered his voice, "He'll be back any minute, so I'm just going to tell you something real quick. After Margarita, Seb dated this girl who…"

Interrupting, I said, "Should you be telling me this? I don't want him pissed at me for knowing something I shouldn't."

"Fuck, probably not. But you need to understand what happened." He sighed, "I won't tell you everything, and I'll tell him I told you. Just… it will help you understand him better. I promise he won't be mad that you know."

"Fine, but if he gets mad at me, I'm blaming you."

"Fair enough." Chris sighed again, and I could picture him running a hand through his hair. "Seb dated this girl for a while that we all thought was perfect. He talked about her like she hung the moon. We didn't get to meet her for months, and none of us could figure out why." His voice got sadder, "When I saw him with a black eye that wasn't from filming, I asked him what had happened. He said that he bumped into something. But he wasn't acting like the Seb I knew. He had drawn into himself. I finally sat him down and made him talk to me and Mackie about it."

"Oh, poor Sebastian."

"We took him out to a bar and got him drunk, knowing that was the only way to get him to open up to us. He told us how she had a temper and would get mad at him for stupid stuff, like not putting his dirty clothes in the hamper. That she couldn't control herself when she got that mad. That it was his fault." He lowered his voice more, "Sebastian is my best friend, and I love him. Neither myself nor Mackie was going to let this woman continue to control him. We forced her out of his life. And no, I’m not going to tell you how. He doesn’t even know. All he knows is that she broke up with him."

"So, when I say he hasn't been this happy in a long time, I mean it." He sounded like he was getting choked up, "Since he started talking to you, it's like I got my best friend back. You are the best thing that's happened to him in years."

"Oh," I didn't know how to respond to that.

"He's coming. I just wanted to say thank you before he takes the phone back."

Sebastian yelled from down the hall, "Chris, what are you doing on my phone."

"Your girlfriend called. I didn't want her to think you were ignoring her," I could tell he was trying to interject happiness into his voice. "Don't worry, I only told her all of your secrets."

"You don't know all my secrets," Sebastian laughed. He must have taken the phone from Chris, because he said, "Good morning, beautiful. I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean…"

I put as much conviction in my voice as I could muster, "Sebastian Stan, I am not mad at you. Not even a little bit. Did our conversation go too far? A little bit. But I'm as much to blame as you for that."

"But…"

"Don't even start with me," I kept my voice firm. "I. Am. Not. Mad. Okay?"

"Okay," he said softly. "The story was really good, by the way. Better than most scripts I read."

"Thank you, that means a lot. But I need you to hear me when I tell you something." Taking a deep breath, I said, "You are a good man, Sebastian. If I had allowed last night to continue, it would have been awesome. But I care too much about you to end our friendship over something so silly."

"Why do you think it would have ended our friendship?"

"Because it's a myth that you can do sexual things with someone and stay just friends. Someone will inevitably develop feelings, while the other thinks they were just being friends." I paused, "I know myself well enough to know that getting more intimate with you like that would only end up hurting me in the long run."

"What if it was the start of something good?" he said softly.

"Sebastian, you're you, and I'm me. I'm not so egotistical to think that I could ever get a man like you to fall in love with me." Before he could say anything else I continued, "There are only two things that I find unforgivable."

"Only two?"

"The first one doesn't apply to us because we are just friends. And that is cheating. Because if a guy cheats, it means he's unhappy. And if he's unhappy and didn't tell me, it means there are bigger problems in our relationship then him sleeping with another woman."

"I can understand that. But why is that unforgivable?" He said quickly, "It's not that I disagree, I'm just curious why you think so."

"It's hard to explain. I've never had a problem with a guy I dated looking at other women. It's the same reason I don't have a problem with strip clubs. I feel that as long as he's coming home to me, and not sleeping with somebody else, looking isn't that big of a deal." I sighed, "Everyone looks, it's human nature. It's possible to find somebody attractive without sleeping with them. To be honest, if it was a drunken thing, I could potentially forgive them if they told me about it right away, and they weren't emotionally involved. But I can't imagine a good reason for someone to cheat unless they are unhappy. And why would you want to stay in a relationship where you're unhappy? I would never force someone to stay with me if they wanted someone else."

"What about the second thing?" he asked softly.

"The second thing is a little more nebulous. It's basically… This might seem a little cruel, but I wouldn't stay with somebody who committed murder or did something bad enough that they got sent to prison for a long time. And it wouldn't be because I didn't love them, or because I didn't want them in my life, or because I wanted them to suffer. It would simply be because I can't put my life on hold for them. I deserve to be happy and visiting a guy in prison for twenty-five years to life, that is not a good life to have."

"Just those two things?" He sounded surprised, "There's really nothing else? Nothing else that you would not be able to forgive somebody for?"

"I can forgive a lot. Lying… that’s a little harder to forgive, but it’s not impossible. Sometimes it just takes a while. I just wanted you to know that even if I get irritated, you will still be my friend." I tried to lighten the mood, "Now, if you eat the last of my chocolate, we might have to battle to the death."

He laughed, a joyous sound, "Alright, I promise to never take the last of your chocolate. Now, Chris wants to talk to me so I'm going to have to let you go."

"I'll talk to you later," I hung up and put the phone down so I could go take a shower.

It was later that afternoon when I got a phone call from Sebastian. I answered, happy to hear from him, "Hey, Seb. How is your day going?"

He sounded stressed, "Chris told you about Vivian."

"Fuck, I'm sorry. I should have told him it wasn't his place to tell me."

"No, I'm not mad at you," he said quickly. "Honestly, I'm glad he told you because I never would have. Honestly, I try to pretend like that period of my life didn't happen."

"Did you want to talk about it?"

He didn't say anything for a couple of minutes, but I kept quiet, letting him think. Finally, he said, "Vivian was the woman I thought I could possibly marry. I thought I loved her. Looking back, I realize that she was being manipulative and that she was just a generally horrible person. But at the time I thought it was my fault that she treated me like she did."

"Sebastian," my voice came out pained as my heart broke for him.

"Just," his voice cracked. "Let me get this out before you say anything. She and I dated for nine months after Margarita and I broke up. In the beginning, things were fine. But the first time I showed up late to pick her up for dinner, she…" He took a deep breath, "I know it wasn't my fault, but at the time I blamed myself for her anger. She had a way of twisting the truth to make me think I had done something wrong."

Tears rolled down my cheeks as he talked. He sounded so matter of fact about it, but thinking of him like that made me wish I was in New York right now. He said softly, "Chris and Mackie said something to her, and I haven't heard from her since. I’m guessing that they forced her to leave me alone, I never wanted to know. She only hit me once, but I've been talking to my therapist about her emotional manipulation. I'm still a work in progress, but I'm getting better."

I wiped at the tears and pressed my eyes, trying to stop crying, "I wish I could hold you right now and tell you this in person. You are one of the best men I’ve ever had the pleasure to talk with. You care so much about everyone, even people you don’t know. You didn't deserve any of what happened to you. I will never be that mad at you, for anything."

"I'm doing better, I promise. I just…"

"Don't say you're sorry."

"I wasn't going to." He took a deep breath, "It's been over a year since things ended. I'm doing a lot better. I know that by technical standards that what she did to me was abuse, but I don't feel like a victim. It was a bad relationship and I got out of it. End of story."

"I'm sorry."

"Enough of this sad talk," he forced his voice to perk up. "You make me happy. Your friendship, it means more to me than you will ever know. So, thank you for sending that message and letting me call you."

"I would do anything for you, Sebastian," I said softly.

"Anything?" His voice turned teasing and I could tell he was trying to lighten the mood, "I seem to recall that you hung up on me last night. That doesn't seem like you’re willing to do anything."

"Really?" I couldn't help but laugh, "Do you really want phone sex? Do you want me to talk about how I'd let you fuck my mouth, not caring if I couldn't breathe as I choke on your cock? Do you want me to stick fingers into my pussy and plunge them in and out, talking about how I wish it was your cock fucking me? And you don't think that would change our relationship?"

"Fucking hell," he groaned. "You're right. Bringing that up again was a bad idea. Now I'm horny and I still have to go out to dinner with Chris."

"I'm going to be painfully honest with you right now." I took a deep breath and tried to hide my arousal, "You are like a walking wet dream for me. Your eyes, that smile, your voice… God, and that body. Jesus, I can only imagine what it would look like in person. But I thought you were attractive before you got ripped, so don't go thinking that's the only thing that I like about you."

"Daisy…"

"Let me finish, then we're never going to talk about this again." My heart was going a million miles a minute thinking about him this way, "I've gotten to know you the past couple of weeks, and that man, the one who's been talking to me, he's the one I like. I couldn't care less about what you look like. The pretty package, that’s just a plus in my opinion. I could easily slip into a more sexual place with you because I'm horny all the time, especially when I think about you. But I value your friendship. Having someone that I can talk to this easily, it's rare for me. It’s difficult for me to make friends and I would be devastated if I lost what we have."

"You're not going to lose me."

"You don't know that. If we pushed boundaries, it would change the dynamic of our conversations. And while it might be fun for a while, what happens when you get in a relationship? I don't want to lose you."

He took several breaths in, then simply said, "Alright, I understand. I won't bring it up again."

"Thanks," I tried to sound relieved even though I was anything but. However, as much as I wanted him, I wanted to keep him in my life and I knew that being just friends was the only way that would happen. "Now go hang out with Chris. You and I can talk later."

"Daisy, I care a lot about you too, just so you know. I don't want to lose you either."

My voice broke, "You're not going to. Now hang up and spend some time with your friend."

"Until later."

"Until later," I said before he hung up.


	4. Face to Face

August 13

_ SEBASTIAN: Hi :) _

I stared down at my phone, a smile on my face. Sebastian and I had been talking for over two months and I fell a little more in love with him every day. Our long phone conversations became less frequent while he worked on projects, but he always made sure to text me and see how I was doing. 

The truly funny part of this whole arrangement was the plethora of pictures I had amassed from him. He only had the one I had originally sent, but at least once a day I got a new picture of him. Some of them were press release pictures, him asking for my opinion on which ones I thought were best. But most were selfies of him doing random things. Working out with Don, walking down the streets of New York, riding the subway, eating charcoal ice cream… He never pressed for more pictures of me, but I could tell that he wanted them.

After our conversation about Vivian however, the things we talked about became more serious. We talked about important things. What we wanted for the future, marriage, family, kids, desires… Everything under the sun. Except for anything that had to do with sex. We studiously avoided anything that could alter the course of our friendship.

_ ME: What’s up, buttercup? Having a good day? _

_ SEBASTIAN: Send me your address. _

_ ME: ??? _

_ SEBASTIAN: Please. I want to send you something. _

_ ME: You don’t have to send me anything. You know that’s not why I talk to you. _

_ SEBASTIAN: I know :) But I want to do something nice for you. Please. _

He sent me a picture of him making puppy dog eyes at me. I could see a bar in the background, a familiar blonde head facing the other way. I could never resist it when he did that to me, so I sent my address.

_ SEBASTIAN: Thanks _

A couple of hours later as I was getting ready for bed, my mom called up the stairs, “Daisy, you have a delivery.”

I put on my robe and traipsed downstairs. Yes, I lived with my parents. A few bad decisions in my twenties left me with a lot of debt. My plan was to pay it down as quickly as possible so I could feel like a real adult again. At least the upstairs was all mine. There was only one room upstairs and it happened to be my bedroom.

A man stood just inside the door wearing an Apple store shirt. He had a giant pink dahlia in one hand and in the other, he held an Apple bag. Looking at me, he said, “Daisy Price?” I nodded and he held out the dahlia and the bag, “These are for you.”

After I took them, he nodded at my mom and left the house. She turned to me, “What’s this? Did you order something?”

“No, mom,” I let out a loud sigh. “I think this is my friend's idea of a joke. Don’t worry, I’m going to give them a call and see what’s up.”

Back upstairs, I sat down on my bed and sniffed the flower. The fact that he remembered my favorite flower when I had told him during our second conversation made me really happy. Setting it down next to me, I opened the bag and pulled out a phone box.

I took a picture of the box and sent it to him.

_ ME: ??? _

_ SEBASTIAN: Now we can FaceTime :D _

I dialed his number, grimacing when I heard the noise in the background, “Sebastian, what are you doing?”

“Daisy,” he sounded drunk and happy. “I want to see your face when I talk to you. Pretty please with sugar on top. It would make me really happy.”

“This is too much,” I said softly. “I can’t accept it. I can't let you spend this kind of money on me.”

“Yes, you can,” I could hear someone calling his name in the background. “All you have to do is insert your sim card. Please, Daisy. I really want to be able to tell what you’re thinking when we talk. I can send another selfie if that will help you make up your mind.”

Sighing, I set the phone box down, “Fine. You’re lucky I love you.” I froze, my mouth having spoken before I could think.

He must have not heard me, because he said, “I’ve got to go. Chris and Mackie are here waiting for me over at the bar. I’ll talk to you soon.”

It didn’t take long to set up the phone, considering all I had to do was switch out the sim card from my phone to the new one. Then I took off the robe and climbed into bed. He might be out late having fun, but I tried to get to sleep before midnight when I could.

I was asleep when I heard my new phone ring. Picking it up, I said groggily, “Hello?”

“Hey,” Sebastian sounded sober but happy. “Did you get the phone set up?”

“A while ago.” My phone beeped and I saw that he was trying to initiate FaceTime, “Seb, I was almost asleep when you called. Can this wait until tomorrow?”

“Please, I just want to see your face.” He spoke softly, “I don’t want to push you, but I really enjoy talking with you. You’ve become a good friend. Help me make a great day even better. Just a few minutes, Daisy. Then I’ll let you sleep. I promise.”

“Fine,” this time I accepted when he initiated FaceTime. He smiled and I couldn’t help but do the same, “Hey.”

“I can barely see you.” I turned on the light and his smile grew, “There she is. God, you really are beautiful.”

“Seabass, who are you talking to?” Mackie peered over his shoulder into the phone, “Is this the mystery girl you won’t shut up about?”

Sebastian’s cheeks pinkened, “Daisy, meet Mackie. Mackie, this is Daisy.”

“She is just as gorgeous as you said,” Mackie stared at me through the phone as Sebastian’s face turned redder. “Are you… naked?”

“It's more comfortable to sleep in the nude. It’s not like you can see anything,” I pulled the blanket a little tighter to mitigate any accidents.

Sebastian looked at his friend, “Mackie, go to sleep. Chris is already passed out and don’t forget, we’ve got an early morning tomorrow.”

“But Seb,” Mackie pouted, “I wanted to talk to your girlfriend.”

I said, “Not his girlfriend.”

At the same time, Sebastian said, “Not my girlfriend.”

Mackie laughed, “I think you guys are protesting just a little too much. I’ll leave you two lovebirds to your canoodling.”

After he left, Sebastian’s face softened as he looked at me, “Sorry about Mackie, he’s a little intense.”

“He just wants you to be happy,” I smiled at him. “Are you happy?”

“I am now.” His eyes twinkled, “So, about what you said earlier.”

I felt my face heat up, but I tried to pretend as if I didn’t know what he was talking about, “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“You said, you’re lucky I love you. What did you mean?” his eyes looked hopeful.

I tried to think of how to explain it, but in the end, I took the cowards way out, “You know, as friends. That’s all I meant. It’s just something that people say.”

For a brief second his face fell, then he grinned, “Well, now I get to see you more often. So it’s a win-win for me.” I could see he wanted to say something else, so I kept quiet. After a minute he said, “What would it take for me to actually see you? Would you be willing to come to New York to visit?”

I couldn’t figure out why he was being so strange, then I remembered the date. My face fell, “Oh shit, Seb, I forgot it was your birthday today.”

“How did you…” he shook his head. “Nevermind, I sometimes forget my entire life is on the internet.”

“And I guess you forgot that we shared that stuff with each other a while ago. So, since I am a horrible friend, happy birthday. I can sing if you want me to.”

“You don’t need to sing to me, and you’re not a horrible friend.” He smiled softly, “And you trying to distract me is not going to get you out of answering my question.”

“I have a job. I can’t just take time off to go to New York.” I muttered under my breath, “As much as I may want to.” Plastering a smile on my face, I added, “Did you have a good birthday?”

“It would have been better if you were here.” He looked sad again for a brief moment, “I’m just glad you decided to accept the phone. You made tonight a lot better.”

My voice softened, “I’m always here for you, any time of day. If you need me, you call. Promise me, Sebastian. Promise me that you’ll call if you need to talk to someone.”

“Yes, mom.”

I could tell he was being flippant, but I still glared at him, “Don’t mom me, unless you want me to call you daddy.” The moment the words left my mouth I regretted them. Not because of what I said, but because of the look in his eyes. No one had looked at me with that kind of lust in a long time. I tried to make light of it, “Please don’t tell me you have a daddy fetish.”

He shook his head, “No. Not really.”

“Not really, so you do a little?”

“What do you want me to say, Daisy?” He ran a hand through his hair and I could tell he was walking through his condo. “That when you said that it made me think of you bent over my knee, your bare ass turning red under my hand. You’re fucking gorgeous, it’s not my fault I’m attracted to you.”

He pushed into his bedroom and set the phone on the bed so I could only see the ceiling. When he leaned over the phone, he was shirtless, “I like you, Daisy. A lot. I know we’re just friends, and I’m fine with that. Really, I am. We talked about this before, and I’m not going to push it. Just… don’t joke about stuff like that. I can’t help that you’ve got a voice that does things to me, especially when you say things that can be easily misconstrued.”

Sebastian picked up the phone and laid on the bed, showing that he was still shirtless. I could feel myself growing damp thinking of being with him. I asked, “What about your girlfriend?”

“What girlfriend?” he looked genuinely confused. “Do you think I would be talking to you like this if I had a girlfriend?”

“No, I just thought… You keep so much hidden from the public eye. I just assumed that someone who looks like you, and is a celebrity, would have an equally attractive significant other. You never mentioned a girlfriend, I just… I assumed you would have one.” I swallowed hard, “God, Seb, you are practically perfect. You are gorgeous, funny, and you actually give a shit about others. You could have anyone you want.”

“Not anyone,” he said so softly I almost didn’t hear him. Then he said a little louder, “If I had a girlfriend, I would have told you about her in one of our conversations. You know more about my life than most people. That isn’t something I would ever lie about, nor would I hide it from you.”

All I wanted to do was tell him to come get me, that he could have me if he truly wanted. But instead, I said, “I care about you, Seb. I just want you to be happy. That’s all I want for... any of my friends. How can I do that for you?”

He took a second to think about it, “Come visit me.”

“It’s not that easy.” I closed my eyes, not wanting to see how letdown he looked, “I’ll try to get some time off, but I don’t think I have any real free time until Thanksgiving.”

“Could you come then?” his voice rose with hope.

“My parents expect me to stay here, with them. We kind of do a family thing every year.” I opened my eyes and saw him trying to put a smile on his face, “I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay,” he sighed. “I’m being pushy. I had too much to drink tonight, so I’ll call you later. You were trying to sleep when I called you anyway.”

“Seb…”

“Go to sleep, Daisy. I’ll talk to you later.” He gave me a soft smile, then hung up the phone.

My heart hurt after talking to him. We talked almost every day, knew more about one another than most people in a real relationship did. But he needed someone in his life who could be in the spotlight, someone he could take to premieres and introduce to the press. Someone who understood his world. Not someone who lived with her parents and worked a normal nine to five job.


	5. Halloween

October 31

The next couple of months went by quicker than I thought possible. We ended up actually talking to each other more often because of FaceTime. Sebastian called me whenever the mood struck, and I always answered, even if I was at work. He called during the Toronto International Film Festival, introducing me to Jamie and Shailene before they did press for their movie. He called during filming, even when he was half-dressed after a particularly sexy scene. He called on the subway, walking down the street, at the bar, and when he was trying to fall asleep. We talked all the time.

Because I knew it made him happy, I sent more pictures of myself to him. Doing mundane things like eating breakfast or sitting in traffic, but he always seemed overjoyed to get another one. Not quite daily, but several times a week. I also started sending him Bucky memes. Hearing him call them mee-mees never failed to make me laugh. As long as he was happy, I was too.

We never spoke of what happened the night of his birthday. Every once in a while, I saw something in his eyes, but it disappeared almost as quickly as it arrived. Sometimes, I thought about asking him about it, but I didn’t want to disturb the careful friendship we had built.

I had gotten dressed in my costume but hadn’t left my bedroom. The only reason I wore a costume was that Sebastian was on my mind. I had remembered his favorite movie and put on an outfit that was every teenage boy's wet dream, at least if they were born before 1990.

My fingers trailed over my phone, unsure if I should call him or not. When the phone rang, I didn’t need to worry about it anymore. I answered, smiling when I saw Sebastian sitting in a chair, a huge grin on his face, “Seb, happy Halloween.” I held the phone high enough that he couldn’t see what I was wearing, “Are you having a good evening?”

“Hey, Daisy,” he panned the camera down so I could see his costume. He was dressed up as a James Dean, wearing a skintight white t-shirt and a black leather jacket. “What do you think of my costume?”

“You look good, Seb.” I let my eyes traverse his body, “You can see how hard you’ve been working out with Don. It shows.” Then I looked into his eyes, “You look... hot.”

“Thanks.” His eyes flicked down, but I knew he couldn’t see anything, “Let me see your costume?”

“Maybe later.” I flushed, remembering what I had worn specifically for him, “So, I kind of wrote another short piece of Steve and Bucky fanfiction.”

“Is it more about Bucky and Alice’s story? Because to be honest, I’m curious how they end up.”

“No, sorry. But if you want to hear it, I was thinking that I could read it to you. If you aren't busy, that is.”

His eyes darted around and then he settled into his chair, “I’d like that. Any hints as to what it’s about?”

“Well, it’s about Steve and Bucky and it takes place during Halloween.” I gave him a stern look, “I wrote it for you because I know how much you liked the last one.”

His eyes narrowed, “Is it going to be as steamy as the last one?”

I thought I heard a noise in the background, but when it went quiet I said, “No. It’s rated PG at worst. Do you still want to hear it?”

“Of course.”

“Alright,” I gave him a soft smile then started to read.

_ Bucky looked in the mirror while he put the finishing touches on his costume. The only reason he was in this ridiculous get-up was Steve had given him that smile. The one that made his heart beat faster and his mind shut down. _

“Wait, is this a Steve and Bucky romance?” The voice that asked the question sounded familiar and a head popped over Sebastian’s shoulder. Robert Downey Jr looked at me, his eyes twinkling, “I knew that it was a thing, but I didn’t expect someone dating Seb to be into it.”

I held a hand over my face, trying to hide my reddening cheeks, “I’m not dating him. And where did you come from? I thought Seb was alone.”

Sebastian frowned a little, but then he put a big smile on his face, “She’s right, we’re not dating. And I’m sorry, I should have told you I was at Robert’s house for a party.”

“But you still like Steve and Bucky together? Right?” Robert asked again before I could respond to Sebastian.

Sighing, I lowered my hand and stared at him, “First, it’s nice to meet you, Mr. Downey.”

“Please, call me Robert.”

“Robert, then.” I smiled, “And my answer is both yes and no. The first Captain America movie alluded to a deeper bond between Steve and Bucky, and they played to that in later movies, except in Endgame. The Russo’s purposefully kept them apart to try and justify why Steve went back in time to Peggy.” Robert opened his mouth to say something and I held up a hand, “Don’t worry, I’m not going to bash Endgame. But yes, I like them together. But I also like thinking about them with women. I’m not picky when it comes to imagining the romantic entanglements of my favorite characters.”

“Alright, I’m sorry for interrupting, please continue.”

I looked at Sebastian, pretending to frown, “You could have told me other people could hear me.”

“Um, then maybe I should tell you there are others sitting around waiting to hear the story too. They’ve been curious ever since I told them about the other one you read to me and Chris.” I heard several people making affirmative statements and felt my face flush. Sebastian lowered his voice and brought the phone closer, “Don’t worry, they’re just curious because I told them you were a good storyteller. And before you ask, I didn’t tell them how erotic the other one ended.”

“Fine,” I sighed. When he held the phone out again so I could see more of him, I continued the story.

_ Still, he glowered at his reflection. With his long hair and beard, the saleslady had convinced him to go as Conan the barbarian. Once he had tried the outfit on in the store, and the saleslady could speak again, she forced him to buy it. It was just a faux leather loincloth that covered everything in the front and most of the back but left his legs completely exposed. A pair of leather sandals that laced up his calves and a four-foot bastard sword completed the look. _

“Hey, Seabass, maybe you should take cues from your girl. You would look good in a loincloth,” Mackie yelled.

Sebastian flushed again and I said softly, “You would look great. He’s right.” I lowered my voice more, hoping that only he would hear, “But you look good in anything you wear.”

_ If it weren’t for the smile from Steve, he would have put back on his regular clothes. The fact that his body was good enough for it didn’t matter to him. Bucky had never felt comfortable being that on display. Not even before becoming the Winter Soldier. _

_ He sighed and left his room, heading out to what Tony had dubbed as the Grand Hall. A large room in the tower that was usually empty, except when he threw parties. The Halloween party this year was only for the Avengers and friends, but he still didn’t want to be there. A few people nodded at him as he passed, but when he glowered at them, they turned back to what they were doing. Bucky looked around the crowd, trying to find a familiar face. _

_ Tony stood by the bar, talking to Natasha. Heading over, Bucky walked up and ordered a beer. _

_ Tony grinned, “Hot damn, Buckster…” _

“Buckster, really?” Robert asked from off-camera. Sebastian turned the camera and I could see him cuddling with someone whom I assumed was his wife, “Tony wouldn’t call him Buckster.”

“What would he call him, then?”

“I don’t know, but not that.”

I grinned, “Well, it’s my story and as the author, I can make Tony as ridiculous as I want. Now, I’m going to get back to it, unless you want to say more.”

“No, please continue.” The phone turned back to Sebastian and he gave me a reassuring smile.

_ Tony grinned, “Hot damn, Buckster. Who knew you had that body under the baggy clothes you wear? If I weren’t with Pepper, I would definitely tap that.” _

_ Natasha raised her hand, “I know it’s been years, but I did.” She leaned in toward Tony, “He’s actually gotten more muscular since working out with Steve." _

“Hold up,” a feminine voice said. When Sebastian turned the phone and I saw Scarlett, I placed a hand over my face and groaned. She chuckled, “Natasha and Bucky never had anything like that.”

“Not in the MCU,” I said. Her eyebrows rose and I laughed, “I don’t know if you’ve read any of the comics, but Natasha and Bucky had one of the great romances in Marvel. I’ve never actually read them, but I’ve seen stuff about it on Instagram. And again, because I’m the author, I’m allowed to take creative liberties.”

The phone turned back to Sebastian, “Keep going, beaut… Daisy. I’ll keep these guys quiet.”

_ At Steve’s name, Bucky flushed, “And what are you supposed to be, Natalia?” _

_ Smoothing her black bodycon dress over her hips, Natasha said, “I am Death.” _

_ “Death?” Bucky chuckled, “Only you, Natalia. Only you.” He looked at Tony who was wearing one of his many suits, “You’re the one that said this was a costume party. You’re the reason I’m wearing this ridiculous outfit. Who are you supposed to be?” _

_ “I’m Tony Stark,” he said, grin stretched wide. _

Several people burst out laughing and I waited until they quieted down.

_ “That’s cheating,” Natasha said playfully. She looked past Bucky, a slow smile spreading over her face, “There he is.” _

_ Bucky turned around, his mouth falling open. Holy shit. No one should be allowed to look that good. Steve was dressed a prince, crown and all. He had even cut his hair and shaved off his beard to complete the look. When Steve smiled at him, Bucky stiffened. _

_ Natasha placed a hand on his arm, whispering, “You should just tell him.” _

_ “Tell him what?” Bucky stubbornly refused to acknowledge he already knew. _

_ “Come on,” she took his hand, pulling him out to the dance floor. As they swayed, she said, “You know, even when we were together you held back. It wasn’t until after I saw you interact with Steve that I figured it out. You’re…” _

_ “Don’t say it,” his voice was hoarse. “Saying it makes it real.” _

_ She stopped dancing and looked up at him, irritation plain on her face, “What do you have to lose?” _

_ “Everything,” he barely spoke above a whisper. _

_ A deep voice said, “Can I cut in?” _

“I bet that’s Steve,” I heard Chris say. Sebastian didn’t even bother moving the camera over to him, just shook his head. Chris must have been pouting because he sounded whiny, “You moved the camera for everyone else, but not me?”

Sebastian laughed, “You can talk to her later. Let her finish the story. You guys keep interrupting and it will be Christmas before she finishes.”

_ Bucky looked at Steve and moved back from Natasha, indicating for him to go ahead. When Steve grabbed Bucky instead, he got confused. Natasha winked and scampered off. “What are you doing?” _

_ “Dancing, I thought it was obvious,” Steve used his considerable strength to pull Bucky closer. “Your costume is… nice. Doesn’t leave a lot to the imagination.” _

_ Bucky sighed and tried to pull back, but Steve held him tight, “Why are you doing this, Steve? Is this a joke to you. Go back to Sharon. I’m sure your girlfriend would rather that you dance with her.” _

_ Steve dropped his hands, shocked at the anger in his voice, “Bucky…” _

_ Turning, Bucky left the party, heading out to the balcony. Anger simmered within him, not at Steve, but at himself for even entertaining the idea that Steve might feel the same. How could he have been so stupid? He knew the party and the costume were bad ideas. _

_ The door to the balcony opened and Steve said, “Sharon and I broke up months ago.” _

_ “So?” Bucky failed to sound calm, staring down at the city, trying to imagine that he was anywhere other than here, “Why are you telling me this?” _

_ “Will you look at me, Buck?” When he didn’t turn, Steve sighed, “Please, Bucky. I would rather say this to your face.” _

_ Slowly, he turned around, heart pounding, “What?” _

_ “Dammit, why do you have to make this so difficult?” Steve took off the crown and ran a hand through his shorter hair. Looking that the piece of metal in his hand, he said softly, “Bucky, you’re my best friend and I love you.” _

_ When Steve didn’t say anything else, Bucky started to laugh, the sound pained, “That’s it? That’s what was so hard? Reminding me that I’m your friend? Great, I’ll sure sleep better tonight now that I know I’m your friend.” _

_ Steve tossed the crown to the side and moved forward until Bucky was pressed against the railing. Reaching up, he cupped Bucky’s face, “No, that's not what I meant. Yes, you're my best friend. Always have been, always will be. But, dammit Bucky, I love you. Not just as a friend. That’s why Sharon and I broke up, she didn’t like how I felt about you.” Before Bucky could reply, Steve kissed him. When they separated, he said softly, “Is that clear enough for you?” _

_ “You really love me?” Bucky asked softly. _

_ “I have since we were teenagers. I just wasn’t sure if you would…” _

_ “No more talking,” Bucky leaned forward and kissed him again. “ I love you too, Steve. When I said ‘til the end of the line, I meant it.” _

When I stopped talking, Sebastian smiled and said, “What, not even a hint of sex?”

I flushed and sputtered, “No. Not everything has to contain sex. I was trying to keep this one relatively innocuous.”

The phone got taken away from him and Robert looked at me, “Have you thought about writing scripts? Your dialogue is quite excellent. I could hook you up with some people I know. They would welcome someone who understands how humans interact.”

“I, uh…”

I didn’t even have time to respond when the phone was pulled away to someone else. Chris’s handsome face filled the screen, “Hey there, Daisy. It’s been a while. And seriously, if you’re interested in scriptwriting, Robert can hook you up. He knows everyone in this business.”

A blonde head poked into the screen. Scarlett grinned, “I’ve always been a big fan of Stucky myself. Do you ship Evanstan too?”

Chris choked and coughed, “Jesus, Scar, really?”

“To be honest, I ship fictional characters because it doesn’t hurt anyone. But real people…” I shook my head, “I would feel creepy wanting real people to be together. If they liked one another like that, they would be together. So, no, I don’t ship Evanstan. Just like I don’t ship Evanson.”

Her face pinkened and Chris looked at her, “I don’t get it.”

The phone was pulled away, this time it was Mackie, “What’s your costume? Come on, I know you have to be wearing one. Seabass told me it was your favorite holiday. How you celebrate it all month long.”

I sighed, “I don’t think I want to tell you.” I had been holding the phone close enough to me that no one could see below my shoulders. Anyone with a little bit of creativity could have figured it out based on the halter top of the outfit, but I didn’t want to show him. I had worn it for many reasons. One of them being that Sebastian and Mark Hamill had a thing going between them, joking about being related. So, I had worn one of the more famous outfits from the movies.

“Come on, show me.” He walked over to a spot where no one else stood, “No one else can see. Have you shown Seb yet?” I shook my head, “And I’m guessing he’ll like it?” I shrugged and he chuckled, “Just show me. I can tell you if he would like it.”

I laid a hand over my eyes, “Jeez, Mackie.” My face flushed, “Seb and I are just friends. That’s all.”

“So you guys keep saying. But I know my boy, and I know what he likes. And he likes you. So, show me your costume then I’ll give him back the phone.” He waggled his eyebrows, “I know he gives you pictures in payment. Want me to search through his phone to…”

“No,” I said quickly. Standing I glared at him, “Fine, but not one mean word or I might have to punch you if I ever get the opportunity to meet you in person.” Taking the phone, I walked over to my floor length mirror and flipped the camera around so he could see my costume. 

It barely covered anything, but that was the point of the outfit. It was the Princess Leia dress from when Jabba the Hut had her held captive. It fit me perfect because I had it made a few years ago when planning to attend a convention. But social anxiety had kept me from wearing it, let alone attending the convention dressed like slave Leia. I held the phone so he could look at me in the costume, standing there silently.

After a minute, he said softly, “Damn, Daisy, you really are gorgeous. Sebastian is a lucky man. If he weren't my best friend, I would be jealous.” He walked back over to the group, “Unless you want everyone to see, I suggest flipping the camera back around. But show him, he’ll like it. I promise.”

I just turned the phone in my hand, using the mirror to guide it’s placement, “Just give him back the phone. Then I can show him before I lose my nerve.”

Sebastian’s face reflected in the mirror, “What were you and Mackie talking about?”

“Are you the only one that can see? I want to show you my costume.”

He leaned back in the chair, “I’m the only one that can see. Everyone else left the room, so it's just me in here.”

I turned the phone back around and showed him the costume. I watched his face as he took it in. First, his eyes widened, then I saw his pupils dilate and he shifted in his chair. I stood there for a few minutes, just looking at his expressive face.

He spoke softly, “Let me see your face.” I switched the camera to selfie mode and gave him a smile, “You’re so fucking beautiful. Do you know that? That outfit… fuck… I feel like every fantasy I had as a teenager is coming true.” 

My face flushed and I tried to believe him when he said I was beautiful, “Thanks.”

“I know you don’t believe me, I’ve been friends with you long enough to know that you don’t think of yourself as beautiful.” He pulled the phone closer to his face, “But I want you to believe me when I say that I think you’re beautiful. Inside and out.”

“Okay,” I said softly. I forced a yawn, “I think I’m going to sleep. You should spend time with your friends.”

“Sleep well, Daisy,” he gave me a small smile and hung up.

I brought up the camera and posed in front of the mirror, sticking one leg fully out of the barely-there skirt. One hand went on my hip and I cocked it to the side, smiling as I took the picture. I could have taken one hundred photos and not been able to pick one, so I just sent it to Sebastian.

_ ME: Here’s another photo for you. _

_ SEBASTIAN: Thanks, beautiful. You didn’t have to send me this, but I’m glad you did. You are so fucking gorgeous. _

_ ME: You send me pics like this all the time. I figured it was the least I can do. And I think gorgeous might be a bit of a stretch. _

_ ME: Plus, I wore this for you. I know that Return of the Jedi is one of your favorite movies. _

_ SEBASTIAN: You wore that for me? Damn, I knew I should have come down to see you instead of coming to RDJ's party. Then I could have seen it in person. _

_ SEBASTIAN: And gorgeous isn't a stretch, it's an understatement. It would take more words than that to describe how beautiful you are to me. _

The same feelings that came up every time he talked like this coursed through me. Every time he said something even remotely flirty I wondered if we could make things work between us. But when those thoughts occurred, I remembered how far apart we lived and the fact that he was famous, while I wasn’t. Sometimes, I wanted nothing more than to tell him how I felt, but I was terrified. Losing him would hurt more than keeping my feelings for him hidden.

I wanted to say more to him, tell him how much his words met to me. But instead, I kept my answer short and simple.

_ ME: Thanks. Maybe I can wear it for you next Halloween. _

_ SEBASTIAN: But that's so far away. Maybe you can wear it for me sooner? _

_ ME: Seb, I’m not going to wear what amounts to a bra and panty set in front of you when it’s not Halloween. That’s a surefire way to push boundaries. _

_ SEBASTIAN: I know, but a guy can dream, can’t he? _

_ ME: I’m going to sleep. Have fun and I’ll talk to you tomorrow. _

_ ME: And maybe, if I meet you before next Halloween, I’ll wear the costume for you. Just so you can see it, not to turn you on, understand? _

_ SEBASTIAN: Yes, mom ;) _

_ ME: What have I told you about that? _

_ SEBASTIAN: Don’t call me daddy here, I really don’t want to get a hardon in front of my friends. _

_ ME: Goodnight, Sebastian. Sweet dreams. _

_ SEBASTIAN: Goodnight, Daisy. _


	6. Birthday Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to MedievalContessa. I was asked for phone sex between Daisy & Seb, and it was such a good idea, I had to write it into the story and make it work. Hope you enjoy!

November 16

I was drunk. It was my thirty-fifth birthday, and I had spent the past hour finishing off a bottle of wine in my bedroom. It was only ten at night, but I drank one bottle with my parents at dinner, then took the second bottle up to my room.

Lying in bed naked, I ran my hands over my body, shivering as my fingers grazed my nipples. Slipping one hand between my legs, I could feel how wet my pussy was and I moaned, “Sebastian.” As soon as his name left my lips, I knew what I wanted to do. And I was drunk enough to think it was a good idea.

I called him, initiating FaceTime before he answered. He was lying in bed and looked tired, but he grinned, “Hey, beautiful.” His eyes lowered and I knew he could see I was naked, “What are you doing?”

My finger slipped back between my legs and I moaned softly. “Seb, I’m so fucking horny right now.”

“You’re drunk,” he sounded disapproving.

“So what?” I slipped a finger inside me and had to bite my lip to keep from calling out his name, “Are you really going to turn down phone sex from me? After every time we've gotten close to it.” I didn’t wait for him to respond, just kept rubbing my clit. My voice grew thick with arousal, “God, Seb. Do you know what I’ve thought about for months? I’ve pictured you coming into my room, seeing me lying in bed, legs spread wide for you. You would look at me and ask me if I’ve been a bad girl.”

His breathing hitched, “Fuck, Daisy. If you’re going to stop this, it needs to be now.”

“I’m not stopping.” I set the phone down on my nightstand so I could use both hands. All he could see was my face and breasts, “I would tell you yes, I’ve been a bad girl. That I think I need a spanking. Oh god, Seb. Just thinking about you, bending me over your lap, spanking me…”

“Do it.” I must have given him a confused look, because he said, “Get on your hands and knees, reach behind you and smack that ass of yours as hard as you can.” I did as he said, watching his eyes as I knelt there. When I reached back and spanked myself, he groaned, “Fucking hell, do it again.”

I smacked myself again, then slid my hand between my legs, sliding two fingers into my pussy. “I would let you beat my ass so red, Sebastian. Then, to make up for being a bad girl, I would kneel on the ground in front of you, sucking your cock deep into my throat. Would you fuck my face hard? Shove your cock into my mouth, holding it so I can’t breathe? God, thinking about you using me like that makes me want to come.”

“Can you show me what a good little girl you’d be?” I could hear wet sloshing, and I knew he was stroking his cock, “Do you have a dildo you can show me how you want me to take you?”

I leaned away from the camera, bringing out an average-sized purple dildo, “I’ve fucked myself so many times with this, pretending it was you.” I brought it to my mouth, sucking on the tip lightly. Then I shoved it all the way into my mouth, gagging on the length. I didn’t pull it out until tears were streaming down my face, “Fuck, I wish you were here right now, fucking me hard.” I put the dildo back in my mouth and fucked my face with it, hitting the back of my throat with each thrust, making me gag.

When he groaned loudly, I pulled it out and flipped onto my back, transferring the dildo to my pussy, “I’m slipping the dildo inside me, Seb. God, I wish this was your cock, sliding into my tight pussy. It’s been so long since a man fucked me, I would feel so tight for you.”

“Jesus, Daisy,” I could hear him moving his hand up and down his cock faster. “What else do you want from me, baby girl?”

“God, Seb,” I was fucking myself hard and fast at this point. Almost unable to form sentences, “I want you to use me however you want. Fuck my face, my pussy, my ass. I just want you deep inside me, making me come.” My breathing grew ragged and I knew I was close to coming, “Fuck, Seb. I don’t think I’m going to last.”

The noise of him stroking himself grew slower, “Baby girl, I want you to slow down for a second. Make this last a little longer.” When I moaned louder, he said sternly, “I asked you to stop.”

My hand slowed and I looked at him, sticking my lower lip out in a pout, “But, Seb, I was so close.”

“Go slowly, tell me a fantasy of yours. It doesn’t have to be something you necessarily want, just something you think about when you’re fucking yourself with that dildo.”

I knew what he was asking for, so I said softly, “Are you sure? I don’t want you to get mad at me.”

“Baby girl, I could never be mad at you for a fantasy.” He looked into my eyes, “I want you to get so horny that you have to bury your face into the pillow to stop your screams from waking the neighbors. Tell me about your fantasy.”

I started moving the dildo in and out of my pussy at a medium pace, “We’re living together and I want to surprise you, so I’m wearing a lacy negligee. It doesn’t cover anything, as there are no cups to cover my breasts and it’s crotchless. I’m laying on the couch, fingering myself as you come in the door. But you’ve brought company home for dinner, not telling me about it ahead of time.”

“Fuck,” he groaned and I heard him speed up stroking himself. “Keep going.”

“It’s Chris, and you both stand there, staring at me. Then you stalk over and pull me off the couch, your fingers finding my soaking wet pussy. You tell Chris how wet I am and then turn me so I’m bent over the back of the couch. You smack my ass, hard, several times then call him over. Taking his hand, you stick his fingers in me to show him how wet I am.” I moaned as I moved the dildo faster, “He pulls me up and looks at you. You give him permission and he kisses me. He kisses so gently and loving like he can’t get enough of me. When you pull me away, your kisses are commandeering and rough. But you know just how I like you to take control of me.”

“You tell me that you both are you going to fuck me hard. You tell me that’s what happens to bad girls, they get fucked by two men at once. You drag me into the bedroom and both you and Chris take off your clothes. God,” I stopped moving the dildo when I felt my pussy start to contract. I didn’t want to come before I finished, “Two hard bodies in front of me, your cocks jutting out from your hips. God, all I want is to suck those cocks. Switch between them while you two…” I paused, not wanting to say what I wanted them to do.

He groaned, “While we what, baby girl?”

I just decided to tell him, “While you two kiss. God, it would be so hot to watch you guys make out while I sucked you. After a while, you would make Chris go lay down on the bed and have me climb over him, sliding his hard, throbbing cock into my wet pussy. Then you would shove me so my chest touched his and you would lube your cock. We’ve done anal before, so you know that I can take you deep in me without as much preparation. Besides, a little pain always makes me hornier once I’m already turned on.”

Pinching my nipple, I arched my back and had to bite my lip, “When you stick your cock up my ass, you guys start fucking me, slowly at first until I get used to the two of you. Then you would pick up the pace, fucking me hard and fast. Using me to get off.” I was pounding the dildo in and out of my pussy by this point, and I couldn’t contain my ragged breathing, “Fuck, Seb. Just thinking about how your cock would feel inside my ass make me want to come. Fuck, I’m going to…” I shoved my hand into my mouth, biting down to keep from screaming as I came, back arching off the bed as I shook from the powerful orgasm.

As I came down from the high of my huge orgasm, I heard his voice talking to me, “...something you want?”

“Hmm,” I looked at him.

“Is that something you want?” He didn’t seem upset, only curious, “Do you want Chris and me to take you at the same time?”

“It’s just a fantasy,” I yawned, completely worn out. “I’m pretty sure you would be more than enough man for me, Sebastian Stan. Considering you once said you would have sex every hour if possible, I don’t think I need two men to keep me going.”

He laughed as he turned red, “I did say that, didn’t I?” I yawned again and he smiled, “Fuck, baby girl, that was the best… I haven’t come that hard in a long time.” I was falling asleep, my eyes drooping. As I passed out, I heard him say, “Goodnight, baby girl.”

November 17

I woke with a terrible headache and the sneaking suspicion that I had done something incredibly stupid the previous night, but I couldn’t remember a thing. I wasn't that heavy of a drinker, and after finishing two bottles of wine I wasn't surprised I couldn't remember anything. I looked at my nightstand saw my purple dildo was out, which confused the hell out of me. The bite mark on my hand and the purple bruise surrounding it just confused me more.

Picking up the phone, I saw that I had a text message from Sebastian.

_ SEBASTIAN: Good morning, beautiful. I enjoyed our talk last night. _

Instead of texting him, I just called. When he answered I didn't even bother letting him say hello, "Seb, what the fuck happened last night? I feel like I did something stupid, but I can't remember anything."

"You don't remember anything?" He sounded incredulous, "You're not just fucking with me right now are you?"

"No! Please, Seb. I'm freaking out over here, I can't remember what I did last night and I see that we talked on the phone for over an hour." I was starting to get shaky, my nerves getting the better of me, "Please tell me I didn't do anything silly or stupid. I had two bottles of wine last night, and I don't normally drink because I have a very low tolerance for alcohol. I just have this feeling that I did something last night that will fuck up our friendship and I'm scared."

While he initiated FaceTime, I covered myself with a blanket before picking up the phone. He looked a little bit sad. From the background, I could tell he was at Don's working out, "You didn't do anything last night that would destroy our friendship, Daisy. You're one of my best friends, and even if you had done something stupid, I wouldn't let it hurt our friendship."

"What did I do?"

"Don't worry about it," Sebastian said forcefully. "I wouldn't tell you there was nothing to be worried about if I wasn't telling you the truth. You were drunk and we talked. You were a little more open than usual, but it wasn’t anything bad, I promise. Don't stress."

"But, Seb…"

"Dammit Daisy, can't you just take anything I say at face value?" Sebastian ran a hand through his hair, "You're one of my best friends, you didn't do anything wrong, stop worrying. Alright?"

I could tell that he wouldn't elaborate any further on what happened the previous night no matter how much I asked him, but I did believe him when he said it wouldn't affect our friendship. I nodded and he smiled, "Good. Now, Don needs to get back to kicking my ass. I'll talk to you later okay?"

"Bye, Sebastian."

After we hung up, I spent several minutes thinking about the previous night, trying to remember what it happened. Even though Sebastian told me I had nothing to worry about, I was still freaking out. Mainly because when I said I couldn't remember anything, he seemed almost upset. And unless I confessed my love for him, I couldn't think of a reason why he would be upset that I couldn't remember what happened.

If I had confessed my love for him, I think that would have been the worst thing I could have done. There was no scenario where doing that wouldn’t have fucked up our friendship. Because part of the difficulty of being just friends with one of you being in love is that it's not just a friendship anymore. And if he knew, he would probably run far and fast in the other direction.

But based on his reactions, I didn't think that was what I had done. I guess if he was going to tell me that I did nothing to be worried about, that I would try not to worry about it. Maybe I would eventually remember.


	7. Surprise

November 21 

I tried not to think about my birthday, but it was on my mind every day. Every once in awhile I would get flashes from the night, but they just served to confuse me more. Images of me sucking on my dildo, fucking myself with it… but they didn’t help me figure out if it was before, during, or after my conversation with Sebastian. It couldn’t have been during, because then our conversations the past week would have been awkward.

He never brought up my birthday, and every time we talked, everything seemed normal. In fact, everything was so normal between us that I managed to convince myself that our conversation had just been drunken ramblings. It made me feel better, knowing I hadn’t embarrassed myself by doing something unredeemable.

On Thanksgiving morning, I was still lying in bed. My parents were downstairs cooking, but I just didn’t have the energy to spend time with anyone. I was feeling a little down because I couldn't bring myself to talk to him about what I really wanted. There were so many times I wanted to bring up visiting Sebastian during our phone conversations, but I always chickened out. And after I said that I would have to spend time with my folks on Thanksgiving, he never brought it up again. My cowardice was the only thing keeping me from actually meeting the man I couldn’t help but love.

“Daisy,” my mom yelled up the stairs.

I opened my door a little bit, “What?”

“You have a visitor.”

“Who is it?”

“Just come down.”

I sighed, “Fine.” I shut the door and pulled on my robe, not bothering to put on anything else. No one had told me about stopping by, so I just assumed it was another delivery of some kind. I didn’t have many friends, and those that I did were out of town visiting relatives for the holiday.

As I headed down the stairs, my mom said, “So, how do you know Daisy? I haven’t heard a single thing about you.”

“Ma’am,” I stopped on the bottom step at the sound of his voice. What was he doing here? I didn’t hear his reply, my heart was pounding too hard.

I continued down the steps, walking toward the front door. Sebastian stood there with a bouquet in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. I pulled the edges of the robe closer together, “Seb, what are you doing here?”

My mom looked at me, then at him, “I’ll be in the kitchen.”

Before she left, he held out the wine to her, “Mrs. Price, this is for you. I’ve been told it goes well with poultry.”

“Thank you, Sebastian. I’ll go put this in the fridge.”

After she was gone, he took a step closer to me and held out the flowers, “And these are for you.” When I didn’t take it, he frowned, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have just showed up like this. I should have called first instead of surprising you. It’s just…” He ran a hand through his hair, “I wanted to see you. God, Daisy, I’ve been thinking about this moment for months. What it would be like to finally meet you.”

My heart pounded harder, but the only thought that ran through my head was that he actually stood there, in front of me. I didn’t know what to do or so, so I said, “I thought you were spending Thanksgiving with your mother.”

“She encouraged me to come. Said I was being too brooding. She told me that I needed to go and find the thing that made me happy because whatever it was, it wasn’t in New York. So I came here, to find you.” He sighed when I stood there silently, “I’m sorry, Daisy. I’ll go.”

As he walked toward the front door, I froze, not sure what to do. He was almost to his car when I ran out to the front lawn and grabbed his arm. When he turned to look at me, I wrapped my arms around his waist, holding him tight. His hands held me tight as well, face in my hair.

I sighed, “Please stay.”

“Are you sure?”

I pulled back and looked up at him, “Yes. Stay, please.”

Joy lit up his face, “Let’s go back inside.”

I led the way. Once we were inside, I picked up the flowers and held them to my nose, “God, these are beautiful.”

“Beautiful flowers for a beautiful girl.”

I raised an eyebrow, “Really? I didn’t think you were that sappy.”

He laughed, “I only speak the truth.”

My mom stuck her head out of the kitchen, “Give those to me, I’ll put them in a vase. Then, you need to get dressed.” As I handed them to her, she gave me a small smile, “And see if your friend wants to stay for dinner. We have plenty of food.”

“Thanks, mom. I’ll ask him.” Grabbing his hand, I dragged him upstairs to my bedroom. Once the door was shut, I sat down on the bed. “So, do you want to stay? My mom made enough food to feed a small village, so you would really be doing us a favor by staying.”

His eyes drifted down and I noticed my robe had fallen open a bit. I pulled it closed and he looked up at me, “You should get dressed.”

Standing, I went over to the closet and started rifling through it, “So, why are you really here? I know it's not just because your mother said you were brooding. Did you really fly all the way here just because she told you to find the thing that made you happy? I find it hard to believe I’m the thing that makes you happy."

“Well, my mother did have to convince me to come. I was worried that you might react poorly if I surprised you by showing up unannounced. And you do make me happy. You’re my best friend, Daisy. Having someone that I feel so at ease with, it doesn’t come along that often.” He paused and took a deep breath, “I came because I wanted to see you. To finally meet you in person. To be able to look into your eyes and see if… Also, I have an event tomorrow night and I was hoping that you would go with me.”

I turned and looked at him. He sat on my bed, legs spread, hands intertwined. My heart sped up as I looked at him and my mind went blank. My feet moved toward him of their own accord until I was only inches away from him. The clothes fell to the ground and I reached up, running my fingers through his hair.

He groaned, his eyes closing. “Jesus, Daisy, you can’t do this to me, not unless you mean it.”

His words snapped me out of it and I felt my face flush as I took a step back, “Fuck, I’m sorry. You just… Fuck.” My fingers tightened on my robe, “Are you sure you want me to go with you to this thing? I don’t want to be a distraction.”

He grabbed the edges of my robe and pulled me closer, hands moving to my hips. He looked up at me, lust evident in his eyes, “There’s nobody else I would rather take.” His hands moved up my sides, fingers brushing against my breasts before he cupped my face, “I like you, Daisy. I have for a while now. And I know that we’ve been fighting to keep this relationship platonic, so if don’t want this, just tell me to stop.”

Before he could pull me down for a kiss,I leaned down and pressed my lips to his briefly. When I pulled back, I plastered a smile on my face, trying to hide my heartache, “I like you too, Sebastian. But you and I won’t work. You’re… you, and I’m… I’m nobody special.”

He released me, “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. Let’s just pretend that I didn’t and we can go back to being only friends.” As he stood, he adjusted himself, “I’ll just wait downstairs while you get dressed.”

As he opened the door, I had to physically stop myself from going after him. I got dressed quickly and headed downstairs. My mom glared at me as I entered the kitchen, “He’s on the back patio. I don’t know what you said to him, but go and apologize. He looked really upset.”

My eyes closed and I muttered, “Fuck.”

“Language, young lady.”

“Sorry, mom. I’ll go talk to Sebastian.” I went out onto the patio and saw him sitting on the bench, staring at the trees behind our house. Sitting next to him, I did the same, “I don’t understand.”

“What?” he sounded tired. “What don’t you understand?”

“Why me?” I couldn’t keep the pain out of my voice. I honestly couldn’t understand why someone like him would like someone like me. Even though we talked all the time, I honestly thought we were just friends. While a couple of our conversations had turned sexual, and he gave me an occasional look that could be interpreted as lust or attraction, it didn’t really mean anything. At least, I didn’t think it did.

He turned on the bench until he faced me. Reaching up, he cupped the side of my face, “Daisy, you are beautiful. I know you don’t think you are, but to me, you are the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever met.” I opened my mouth to say something, but he placed a finger over my lips, “That’s not why I like you though. Your beauty isn’t the thing that made me… You make me happier than I have been in a long time.” He sighed, “I get that you don’t feel the same, and it’s okay.”

“Seb…”

“No, Daisy, I get it. I really do.” He turned away from me, fingers twined together, “I shouldn’t have just shown up like this. Surprises never really seem to go my way. I...”

“You stupid man,” I turned his face toward me as I interrupted him. “Just shut up.” I pulled his head down and kissed him, my tongue dancing against his. When I pulled away, he was smiling. “I like you too, more than I probably should. If you want to try this, I’m willing.”

“Does this mean you’ll come with me?”

“When do we leave?”

His smile grew, “Well, I’m not going to take you away from your family on Thanksgiving. I have us on a flight that leaves early tomorrow morning.” A sheepish look came over his face, “I was hoping you’d stay with me tonight. The flight leaves really early to get us back in time for the event, so it would be…”

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“But I’m not sleeping with you.” I leaned over and kissed him again, “Well, at least not yet.”

The rest of the day went by smoothly. Sebastian couldn’t stop smiling, and neither could I. Luckily, no one in my family seemed to know who he was, so he didn’t get bombarded with questions. During dinner, he held hands with me under the table, thumb rubbing against my palm.

My mom kept giving me subtle looks, eyes glancing over at Sebastian before raising her eyebrows. I just shook my head and smiled softly. No one cared when I left early, taking a small bag with me. I told my mom that I was going to New York for the weekend and she just told me to stay safe and have fun.

At the hotel, Sebastian had a room with two beds, but when we were ready to go to sleep, I hesitated. He looked over at me and blushed, “I forgot, you like to sleep naked.”

“Did you really forget?” I walked over to him, trailing my fingers down his chest, “Or were you just hoping I wouldn’t bring something to wear so you could stare at my naked body?”

“Both?” he captured my hand and drew me closer, placing a soft kiss on my lips.

“Sorry to burst your bubble, but I brought a nightshirt with me. I told you I’m not sleeping with you tonight and I meant it. I won’t be a one night stand.”

He frowned, “Do you really think I would do that?”

“No, but I don’t really know you that well.”

Pulling away, he walked over to his suitcase, pulling out a pair of pajama pants, “Daisy, you know me better than most people. I’ve told you things that I’ve literally never told anyone else, not even Chris or Mackie, and they’re my best friends. I would never hurt you that way.” Before he went into the bathroom, he looked over at me, eyes sad, “I thought I knew you too, but maybe I don’t know you as well as I thought I did.”

While he changed, I did as well. When he came out, I was sitting on the bed trying not to cry. He got under the covers and turned away from me. I whispered, “I’m sorry.”

He sighed and turned so he faced me, “What for?”

“Did you ever wonder why I’m still single when I’m thirty-five?” I looked down at my hands, picking at my cuticles, “Every time I’ve been in a relationship, I’ve screwed it up. I push people away, Sebastian. That’s what I do. And with you, I’m terrified. I’m terrified that I’ll say or do something that will fuck this up when I’m pretty sure it’s doomed anyway. I’m terrified that we’ll try this out, it will fail, and I’ll lose one of the best friends I’ve ever had. I don’t know if I’ll survive losing you.”

“Come here,” he said softly. I looked up and saw him lifting the blanket for me, “Please.” 

I stood and climbed into the bed, letting him pull me into his arms. Leaning my head on his chest, I tried to stay calm, “I’m scared.”

“Me too,” he rubbed my back. “I’ve never felt like this before, and we’ve only spent one day together. So many questions ran through my mind the past few months. Why did you start talking to me? What do you want from me? Am I just a way for you to make a quick buck in a tell-all for some tabloid? Is she just pretending to be my friend?”

“I…”

He placed a kiss to my forehead, “But I got to know you. You only sent me that one picture in the beginning, and you never asked for anything from me. You always treated me like a normal guy, which is only a small part of why I like you so much. I know that you’re scared, I am too. I don’t want to lose you, any more than you want to lose me. Let’s just take this one day at a time and see where it goes.”

“I can do that.”

“You don’t know how happy that makes me,” he pulled me tighter against him. “Now, let’s go to sleep. Four AM comes rather early.”


	8. Knives Out

November 22 

As we got off the plane, Sebastian kept a tight grip on my hand even though I tried in vain to make him let me go, “Seb, someone might see.”

“I don’t care,” he stopped me in the middle of the airport while people walked past us. They were all in too much of a hurry to even notice either of us standing there. Turning me toward him, he tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and bent down, kissing me softly.

I pulled back, “You’ve always kept your other relationships quiet. Why am I different?”

“Do you not want anyone to see us together?” he dropped my hand. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“That’s not an answer.” I started walking, hoping he would follow. When he did, I spoke soft enough so no one would overhear us, “Why am I different?”

He took a few minutes to respond, answering as we got on the escalator to baggage claim, “Before, I never felt like this. Every relationship I was in, they were all beautiful amazing girls. Did I love them? Yeah, eventually. But they never made my heart beat faster just by talking to them. They were never the one.”

“Are you saying…”

“I don’t know,” we stepped off the escalator and started walking toward the entrance. “All I know is that I’ve never felt this much for anyone, not even after being with them for years.” He stopped and looked down at me, “I can’t say what will happen in the future, so if you want to keep this quiet, we will.”

“Just for now, Seb.” I laid a hand on his arm and squeezed, before letting go, “I would shout it from the rooftops that you were my guy if I could. But while we’ve been talking for months we literally just met yesterday, at least in person. We should see if we fit together as a couple before announcing to the public that we’re dating.”

“They’re going to see you at the event. Is that going to be a problem?”

Powerful arms encircled me from behind, lifting me off the ground and I screamed. A familiar voice laughed in my ear, saying, “Daisy, I’m so glad you could come.”

When he put me down, I turned around and flushed, “Chris, are you going to this event too?”

He laughed and pulled me in for a hug. When he let go, he looked over at Sebastian, “Seb, you didn’t tell her what was happening tonight?” He looked down at me, “Tonight is a special premiere of Knives Out before it officially releases to the public next week. Sebastian wanted to come out and support me. He said he was bringing a surprise, but I never in a million years would I have guessed it would be you.”

“A movie premiere?” I glared at Sebastian. My words came out quick, “What am I supposed to wear? Somehow, I don’t think that jeans and a t-shirt are going to cut it. And do I have to walk with you, because I don’t know…”

Sebastian laid his whole hand over my mouth, “I’ve already got a dress for you. And before you ask, I looked in your closet and got your size. Now, if you’re willing, you can walk with me and Chris. Everyone will think you’re dating one of us, but we’ll just say you’re a good friend. Because you are.”

I pulled his hand away, “Isn’t that kind of a lie?”

“Wait, you guys are dating?” Chris wrapped an arm around me and squeezed tight, “I knew she was your girlfriend, you sly dog. Mackie is going to be so jealous I found out first.”

“I’m not his girlfriend.”

“Not yet, anyway,” Sebastian said with a grin. “I only just managed to convince her to date me, let’s leave the girlfriend talk for a later time. Now, let’s get out of here before we are mobbed. I think someone just recognized Chris and we don’t have time to take pictures.”

Sitting in the limo, I tried to adjust the slit in the dress to cover more of my leg. Sebastian hadn’t picked out the dress, just told his stylist my size and what color would look good on me. So I ended up in a deep blue dress with thin straps that had sparkly jewels sewn all along the bottom to make it look like the night sky. It had no back and a deep v-neck that required me to wear sticky tape to avoid any accidents. The dress went all the way to the floor but had a slit in the side that went all the way up to my hip. Basically, I was unable to wear any kind of underwear, so I was naked under the dress. 

Sebastian grabbed my hand, “Stop it, you look beautiful.”

“I feel naked.”

Chris laughed, “You’re more covered than most of the women will be. Just try not to think about it.” The limo slowed to a stop and the door opened. Chris scooted toward the door, “Look, I’m going to get out, then you are. It will be fine. Just smile and nod. Ignore any questions they throw at you. All they will be trying to do is get you to slip up and say something they can print in their tabloids. So it's better to say nothing.”

He climbed out and I could hear people screaming his name, shouting questions at him. His hand reached in and I grabbed it, trying not to shake. I stepped out and plastered a smile on my face. The questions changed, reporters asking if I was his girlfriend.

Chris leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Don’t worry, Daisy. Once Seb comes out, they’ll be all over him too.” When the reporters starting yelling Sebastian’s name, I knew he had gotten out of the limo. Chris said, “You might want to stop with the grin, they’ll know you’re together.”

I steeled my face, not turning to look even though I desperately wanted to. A hand touched my back, “Ready for this, sweetheart?” Sebastian rubbed lightly before dropping his hand, “You’re going to get questions. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. Chris and I will be with you the entire time.”

I turned toward him and smiled, not caring who saw me, “Just don’t get mad at me if I say something snarky.”

He laughed, “Baby girl, you can be as snarky as you want. The press eats that kind of stuff up.”

The three of us walked down the red carpet, Sebastian and Chris stopping for the occasional picture. Whenever they got asked to stop, I made sure to step out of the way. I wasn’t anyone famous, so the photographers didn’t even care. Nor did they even seem to notice I was there.

When we reached the area with video cameras and the well-dressed reporters, I knew there would be more questions. Chris got pulled off to one, leaving me and Sebastian by ourselves. A woman with a video camera walked up to us, “So, Sebastian Stan, are you in the movie?”

He gave her his signature award-winning smile, “Nope. Just came out tonight to support my good friend Chris Evans.”

“That’s really nice of you.” She turned to me, “I’m sorry, I don’t recognize you.”

My mouth dropped open, but I didn’t know what to say. Sebastian jumped in, “Her name is Daisy. She’s a good friend of both Chris and myself.” He leaned in conspiratorially toward the reporter, “This is her first time walking the red carpet, so go easy on her.”

The woman smiled at me, “Daisy, that’s a beautiful name. Let’s start with an easy one. Who are you wearing?”

My mind froze for a second, then I smiled. Reaching a hand to my other arm, I grazed my forearm and pinched some skin, “Do you like her? I borrowed her for the night.”

The woman looked confused, “I… see.” She turned back to him, probably deciding it was better to not ask me any other questions, “So when does Endings, Beginnings come out?”

“I’m not here to promote my movie. But thanks for asking.” He placed a hand on my back and steered me away, “Really? Are you pretending to be a lizard person now?”

“I always hated when they would ask that question. No one gives a crap what clothes an actor is wearing. We want to know about their love lives, the movie, the gossip… not whether I’m wearing Vera Wang or Louis whatever his name is.” I looked over at Sebastian who was very obviously trying not to laugh, “I’m wearing a dress that would probably cost a month's salary…”

“Try at least three months, baby girl.”

“Fuck,” I looked down at the silky material. “Seriously? This thing costs $15,000?”

“Actually, thirty,” he said softly. “But don’t worry, it’s just on loan.”

“Fuck, what if I spill on it. Or God, what if I rip it?” I started taking smaller steps, trying to be extra careful.

Sebastian stopped, grabbing my shoulders with both hands, “Baby girl, if it gets ruined, I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry.”

“You know I’m not going to be able to stop worrying. That is more money than I make in six months. I could buy two gently used cars with that amount. I can’t let you spend that much money on me.”

“God, this is why…” He closed his eyes briefly, then placed a kiss to my forehead, “Come on, let’s get inside the theater so we can watch the movie. And before you worry, we’re out of sight of the reporters. Which means I can do this.” He kissed me gently, hand on my back pulling me closer. When he released me, he smiled, “God, I don’t think I’ll ever get used to that.”

During the movie, Sebastian held my hand the entire time. I tried to get him to not be so obvious about us, but since we weren't sitting anywhere near the cast and crew, he said that no one would be paying attention to us. To be honest, I liked it. It made me feel like we were a real couple.

The movie was hilarious, making me laugh loudly during many parts. I didn’t know what was funnier - hearing Captain America say ‘eat shit’ a bunch of times, or the way everyone reacted when he did.

Most of the time in mystery movies, I can figure out the ending because they give it away. Most movies are really formulaic, make it easy to deduce the ending. But I was shocked when the killer was revealed. They had truly written the story well because it wasn’t obvious at all. I would have to go back and watch it again in order to see the clues that revealed the killer. To be honest, I would probably have to rewatch it more than once.

After the movie, the cast got on stage and talked for a little bit, answering questions and telling funny anecdotes from filming. I made sure to yell loudly when Chris was introduced. His eyes drifted toward us and I saw him smile. After about an hour of press stuff, we all left to go to the after-party.

Once we got there, Sebastian held my hand as we went in. I looked over at him, "I thought we were keeping this quiet."

He whispered in my ear, "There won't be any press here that haven't been vetted. They're here for the cast and crew, not the people that showed up only to party."

"But…"

Lowering his head, he pressed a brief kiss to my lips, "Sweetheart, it will be fine. The worst that will happen is someone will see and it will be a small notation in an article. Nobody knows who you are, so it won't matter."

"Are you sure?" my voice came out small. I couldn't help but feel insecure about it. Even though I wanted to be able to go in there with him as my date, I was still worried that something would happen to ruin our new relationship.

Sebastian ran a hand through his hair. He sounded tired, "I get that this is a lot for you. So, if you don't want to do this, we don't have to. I like you, Daisy, but this is my life. I keep a lot of things private, but it's impossible to keep everything off the internet. Especially since everyone carries a camera in their pocket nowadays. I don't want you to be uncomfortable, but you need to understand that I'm in the public eye." He sighed, "We can go back to being just friends if that's what you want. If that makes it easier for you. We can pretend like we never kissed. Just... tell me what you want."

My eyes welled with tears and I couldn't reply. Instead of trying to speak, I walked away, not bothering to see if he followed me. I needed to find a space away from people, to stop the panic burbling up inside of me. Pushing through the crowd, I ran into someone almost knocking them over.

A pair of strong hands grabbed my shoulders and I looked up to see Chris looking at me, eyes worried. "Daisy, what's wrong?"

I had managed to keep from crying until he asked me those words. Tears streamed down my face and he sighed, pulling me into his arms. "Where's Seb?" I started crying harder and he led me away from the crowd, pulling me into the hallway, "Daisy, what's wrong?"

"I don't know what I'm doing," my words came out rough because I was crying.

"Fuck, let me call Seb and get him to…"

"No, please don't." I tried to wipe at the tears rolling down my face, but they kept coming. Chris pulled me into his arms, rubbing my back. I said, "I think I already fucked up. I knew this would happen. I knew that there would be something that would destroy my friendship with Sebastian. I can’t believe I thought that I could make this work with him. What was I thinking?"

"Daisy," his voice came out soft. "I don't know what happened, but I would be willing to bet that you didn't fuck anything up." He pulled back and grabbed my hand, pulling me into a restroom. Locking the door, he led me over to the sink and grabbed a paper towel, wetting it so he could wipe my face down, "Seb is crazy about you. He hasn't stopped talking about the amazing girl that he met through Instagram since you guys started talking."

He continued wiping my face, "He has been talking about having you come to New York since his birthday. I've truly never seen him happier than when I picked you guys up at the airport." He grabbed another paper towel and dried my face, then tucked my hair behind an ear, "Just talk to him. Don't shut him out. He cares for you, more than he's cared for anyone else. And I was pretty certain he was going to marry Margarita."

"I'm sorry I'm ruining your party." I turned to the mirror, making sure whatever makeup remained didn't look horrible, "I'm sorry I'm a basket case."

Chris laid a hand on my shoulder, "You didn't ruin anything, and you’re not a basket case. You’re just upset. You’re allowed to be upset. Now come on, let's get back out there so you can go find Seb and talk to him. You don't need to do more than that, just talk to him. I promise everything will be fine. That boy is crazy about you."

"Thanks, Chris."

He opened the door and pushed me out, "Don't thank me, just go find your boy and have fun."

I walked through the crowd, trying to find Sebastian. I didn't see him anywhere, so I tried calling him. The phone rang once, then disconnected. I stared at the phone, unable to believe that he had hung up on me. I tried calling him again. The same thing happened. So I tried texting him.

_ ME: I'm sorry, Sebastian. I'm just scared. You're everything I've ever wanted, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact you're famous. I like you. I like the guy that remembered my favorite flower is the dahlia. I like the guy that gets a huge smile on his face every time we FaceTime. I like you for who you are. And if you want me to go and take the microphone away from whoever is talking and tell the whole world how much you mean to me, I will. _

_ ME: I’ll do anything. Just please, don't be mad at me forever. _

I went over to the bar, getting a beer so I could do something other than wait for him to respond. I had finished the beer by the time my phone pinged.

_ SEBASTIAN: You don't have to do that. And I'm sorry too. I know that this scares you, and I still keep pushing. _

_ ME: Where are you? I think we should talk about this, but not over text. _

My phone rang and I answered, "Hey, Seb."

"Please don't be mad at me," he sounded worried.

"Why could I possibly be mad at you? You didn't do anything. I'm the one who ran away." I took a deep breath, "You should really thank Chris. He calmed me down. I think I might have had a small panic attack."

"Fuck," his voice sounded hoarse. "I'm glad he was there for you. I'm so sorry I wasn't." He paused and I waited for him to continue, "I'm not at the party anymore."

I couldn't help but be confused, "What do you mean?"

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left, but I was upset and you walked away," he sighed. "It’s not your fault, I'm just an idiot."

“Where are you?”

“I’m almost home. I can turn around and come back.”

“Don’t do that on my account.” I looked around and saw Chris talking with someone, “I’m gonna go say goodnight to Chris, then I’ll grab a taxi back to your place.” I started walking over to him, “Seb, I’m not mad at you. Not even a little bit. I freaked out, you were upset… it’s fine. Go home, take off your suit, get comfortable. I’ll be there in a little bit.”

I kept the phone next to my ear as I approached Chris. Placing my hand on his arm, I said to the woman he was talking with, “Sorry to interrupt, do you mind if I borrow Chris for a minute?”

She looked at me, a huge smile on her face, “Are you Chris’s girlfriend? He won’t tell us anything about you, and we’ve been bugging him for months.” She held out her hand, “I’m Jamie Lee Curtis.”

I shook her hand as my jaw dropped, “Oh my God, I love you.”

“She’s not my girlfriend, Jamie. I don't have one right now,” Chris laughed. “She’s with Sebastian.”

“Oh,” her eyebrows rose. “Your Sebastian’s girlfriend? He’s a good guy. You couldn’t do any better.” She looked at Chris, “Unless you went out with Chris, of course.”

He laughed, “I’ll be right back.” Grabbing my arm, he pulled me over to the side of the room, “What’s up? Did Seb not want to talk to you?”

“Does he know I’m still on the phone?” Sebastian asked. He didn’t seem upset, “Maybe I should let you go so you can say goodbye.”

“Sebastian Stan, I can say goodbye to your friend without hanging up on you.” I gave Chris a small smile, “But I’ll let you go. Text me when you’re home so I know you made it safely.”

“Alright, mom.”

“Remember what I said before, Seb.” I laughed, “Don’t call me mom unless…”

“Don’t go there, sweetheart. I still have to walk home and I can’t do that with a hardon.” I could hear the smile in his voice, “I’m going to hang up now. Tell Chris I’m sorry that I bailed. I’ll see you in a little bit, sweetheart.”

After he hung up the phone, I put it back in my purse and Chris gave me a strange look, “Where is Seb?”

“He left,” I didn't have a chance to say anything else when he interrupted.

“Goddamn, motherfucker,” Chris’s face morphed into one of anger. I’d never seen a look like that except when he was playing a character, “He just fucking left you here? Alone?”

I put my hands on my hips and glared at him, “If I’m not mad at him, you don’t get to be either.” Softer, I said, “We both did things we shouldn’t have. I’m not going to be mad at him for not wanting to be at a party when he thought I might have changed my mind about dating him.”

“He said that?” his voice grew soft.

“Not exactly, I inferred it. I’m going to meet Seb back at his place. He was almost home when he called, and I wasn’t going to have him come all the way back here just for me.” I gave Chris a quick hug, “I wanted to say goodbye before I left. And Seb wanted me to tell you that he’s sorry for bailing on your party.”

“Look, give me five minutes to call my driver. He’ll take you to Seb’s.”

“You don’t have…”

“I’m not taking no for an answer,” he gave me a smile. “It will be safer than hailing a cab, and a lot cheaper. Besides, in that dress, you don’t want to get in a cab. They aren’t the cleanest in this city.”

“Shit,” I looked down at the dress. “I forgot about the dress. Alright, I’ll take the ride.” I laid a hand on his arm, “Thanks for being such a good friend, Chris.”

“Anytime, Daisy. Now go get your boy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have three more chapters written. I'll be posting them after I do a cursory edit of them.


	9. Making Up

November 22

I got off the elevator, heading toward Sebastian’s condo. I didn’t even make it to the door when it opened and Sebastian came out pulling me into his arms. His face pressed into my hair and I could feel him shaking as he held me. I pushed him back a little so I could look at his face. My heart hurt when I saw the redness in his eyes.

“Oh, baby, I’m sorry.” I rubbed my thumbs over his cheeks, “Let’s go inside.”

I led him into the condo, shutting the door behind us. When I turned to look at him, I saw that he had changed into sweats and a t-shirt. I slipped off my heels and walked toward him. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I held on tight, resting my head against his chest, “Baby, I’m sorry. I just got scared. I started to panic and didn’t know what to say. I never should have left you like that.”

His hands rubbed my back, “Sweetheart, it’s fine. I’m not upset with you. Well, not anymore.” He placed a kiss on top of my head, “We should talk. I want to make sure that you’re okay, my lifestyle isn’t for everyone. I didn’t even think about the fact that you aren’t from my world when I decided to whisk you away from your home this weekend.”

I raised my head so I could kiss him softly, “Sebastian Stan, I’m not scared of your lifestyle. Does it freak me out a little? Yeah. But the only reason it freaks me out is that I don’t know what we are yet. I don’t know where this is going. But I know where I want it to go.” Pulling back, I slid my fingers under the strap of the dress, “Do you know what I thought about the entire car ride here?”

He shook his head, “Sweetheart, you don’t need to do this. I just want to make sure…”

I slid one of the straps down my shoulder, then slid the other one down. Still, I held the dress up so it covered everything, “I thought about the last time I called you daddy.” Moving my arms, I pulled them out of the dress without showing anything and took another step back, “How you said it made you think about me, bent over your lap, my ass red from your hand.” I put one arm over my chest and let the dress slide down until my waist was exposed, “God, it was all I could think about for weeks. I can’t count the number of times I masturbated imagining you taking control of me like that.”

He took a step forward, but I took one back, “Not yet, baby.” I smiled and let the dress slip to the floor, placing a hand over my vagina, smiling as I saw his sweatpants start to tent, “The only thing I want you to know is that I’m not going anywhere. Well, I’m going home at the end of the weekend, but I have no plans to leave you.”

Smiling, he crooked his finger at me, “Come here, sweetheart.” 

I shook my head, giving him a sly smile, “I don’t think I will.” Letting my hands drop, I grinned as he looked at my body, “I’ve been wondering something. Do you want me to call you daddy? Because I can.” I took a step closer, “I’ve been a bad girl, maybe you should punish me.”

Sebastian stayed where he stood, “If you want to call me daddy, you can. It’s not my kink, but I have been with…” He shook his head, “Nope, not talking about previous lovers right now. However, I think you do deserve a slight punishment.” Holding out his hand, he gestured for me to come closer, “After all, you did worry me earlier. Maybe a good hard spanking will remind you not to do it again.”

I took another step closer, moving slowly, “Daddy isn’t my kink either, but if you want to beat my ass so I can’t sit for a week, I wouldn’t complain. As long as you promise to fuck me after.”

“Then get your sweet ass over here. I wouldn’t want to keep you waiting.”

“But how are you going to spank me, standing there like that.”

He laughed and stalked over to me, stopping just in front of me. Running his finger down my chest, he paused right above my slit. Then he slipped his hand between my thighs, moving his finger over my clit. I moaned and he grinned, “You’re wet, baby girl. Does the idea of laying across my lap turn you on.”

As his finger slipped into my pussy, I moaned, “Yes.” I spread my legs to give him easier access, “But it’s not just that. I’m always wet when I’m around you, or when I’m talking to you. God, just the thought of you makes me wet.”

Grabbing my hand, he pulled me down the hallway to his bedroom. When we entered the room, he let go of my hand and sat on the bed, “Come here.” I walked over to him and he patted his leg, “Bend over my lap, baby girl.”

I did as he said and moaned when I felt his hard cock pressing against my stomach. His hand rubbed against my ass, then he smacked it lightly before rubbing again. Then he began smacking my ass, hitting one side and then the other. Over and over again. Not hard enough to do more than sting slightly, but it still turned me on.

I couldn’t help myself, I turned my head so I could look up at him, “I thought you were going to make it so I couldn’t sit for a week? You'll need to hit harder for that.” I gave him a sultry smile, "I can take it."

He laughed, “Baby girl, all you had to do was ask.” He hit my ass harder, the sound echoing in his room causing me to shriek. Rubbing the spot he just hit, he said softly, “Let me know if it gets to be too much and I’ll stop.”

“Do it again,” I moaned.

He smacked the other cheek, just as hard. After each hit, he would rub the pain away. He did this over and over until I was shaking on his lap. Tears rolled down my cheeks, both from the pain and the pleasure the pain brought me. When his fingers slipped between my legs and into my pussy, I came, moaning his name.

After the contractions ceased, he lifted me up and carried me to the bed, laying me on my back. He leaned over and kissed me soundly, “You are so fucking beautiful.”

I opened my eyes and looked into his eyes, “Fuck me, Sebastian. Please, for the love of all that's holy, fuck me. I need your cock inside of me.” He stood and stripped off his clothes, showing the hard body he worked so hard to maintain. When I saw his cock jutting out from his hips, I gulped, “Jesus, you’re big.”

Moving to the bed, he spread my legs and situated himself, holding his position at my entrance. He ran a finger down my cheek, “If it hurts…”

“Fuck me.” I grabbed his hips and pulled forward until the tip of his cock slipped into my wet pussy, “I want your cock in me. Now. I don’t care if it hurts, just fuck me.”

He slid in slowly, letting me get used to his girth. Even though he was huge, I was so wet it only ached a little bit. Once he was fully seated, he kissed me and then started moving in and out, slowly. After a couple of minutes, I moaned and looked at him, “Harder.”

“Your so tight, baby girl, I’m not sure I’ll last,” he groaned but shoved into me hard then held his hips pressed against mine.

I ran my hands up and down his sides, then grabbed his hips, “Just fuck me, Sebastian. I already came, I want to feel you fuck me hard.”

His eyes narrowed as he looked down at me, “Baby girl, I want you to come with me.” He pulled out and thrust in hard, groaning.

“I’m so close already, just fuck me. Hard and fast.” I cupped his head, pulling him down so I could kiss him hard. “Please, Sebastian.”

He pushed up and started moving slowly, “Alright, baby girl.” Moving his hips faster, he started fucking me hard and fast, groaning with every thrust.

I moved my hand between us and rubbed my clit, bringing myself closer to orgasm. My pussy tightened before I came again and his hips stuttered, but he kept pounding in and out. When I came, my back arched off the bed and I screamed, the second orgasm of the night more intense than the first. His hips hit mine one more time, then he came, yelling out.

Falling forward, he caught himself before landing on top of me. He leaned down and kissed me softly, “Jesus, Daisy. That was…” He pulled his softening cock out of me and got off the bed, staggering over to the bathroom. He came back with a washcloth, wiping between my legs. Then he tossed it to the floor and climbed back onto the bed.

As he pulled me into his arms, I remembered something and sat up in bed, “Shit, the dress.” I climbed off the bed and opened the door, “I’ll be right back, I just want to hang up the dress so it doesn’t get ruined.”

I was halfway down the hallway when I heard him yell, “Daisy, wait.”

At his call, I stumbled into the living room and saw a tall figure in the attached kitchen. He turned around and stared at me for several long seconds before turning his back, “Hey, Daisy.”

“Chris,” I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to cover my nakedness. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m staying with Seb this weekend. Didn’t he tell you?” When I didn’t respond, Chris chuckled, “Maybe you should go back to the bedroom. Put on some clothes.”

“I just wanted to grab the dress to hang it up. It's too expensive to leave lying on the ground.”

He lifted a hand and covered his eyes, “Just grab it. I won’t look.”

I ran into the room, picked up the dress and held it in front of me. Before going back to the bedroom I said, “By the way, thanks for the talk earlier. It helped a lot.”

“I heard.”

My face burned, so I was glad he couldn’t see, “I’m just going to go.” I ran back to the bedroom, shutting the door behind me. I started laughing as soon as I did. “You could have told me Chris was staying here.”

“I was a little busy the past couple of hours,” he said as I hung up the dress. “Besides, I thought you would know based on the fact that he was here before we left to go to the premiere.”

I hung up the dress and climbed back into bed, curling against his chest. “I probably should have known. But all I was thinking about all day was the fact that I was really here, with you.” I chuckled, “You don’t care that Chris saw me naked, do you?”

“I’m sure he turned away the second he noticed.” When I didn’t say anything, his hand on my back stilled, “He did turn away, right?”

“Not right away, but eventually. You are not allowed to get mad at your friend. He didn’t expect me to leave the room naked,” I ran my fingers over his chest. “Now, he’s going to be here all weekend?” Sebastian nodded, “We should be a little quieter then. He may have heard us.”

“Does that bother you?”

“Should it?” I turned my head so I could look at him, “Should I be bothered that he heard us fucking? Does it bother you?” Sebastian grinned and shook his head, “Well, it doesn’t bother me either. If he doesn’t like it, he can get a hotel room. I’m just glad to be here with you. And if the rest of the weekend is as good as tonight, I will be walking funny at work on Monday.”

He frowned, “I don’t want to think about you leaving.”

“Neither do I. So let’s not think about it right now.” I pulled the blanket over us and closed my eyes, “God, you wore me out.”

“I’m sorry,” he sounded so sad. “I really didn’t mean to upset you earlier.”

“I’m going to say this once, then we’re never talking about this again.” I hugged him tight, “I was upset, but it wasn’t your fault. This, what we have, is new to me. My last relationship didn’t end so well, and I haven’t made it past date three with another guy since I broke up with him four years ago. And in the year we were together, I never felt half of what I felt for you after just talking for a couple of months.”

“Wait, what?” he sounded surprised, but beneath the sound, I could tell that he wasn’t truly surprised.

“Fuck. It seems like I keep blurting things out without meaning to.” I kept my face buried in his chest, “All I’m trying to say is that this is all happening so fast. I like you, a lot. I thought at first that it was because of who you are. So I tried to keep you at a distance, to just be friends with you. I didn't want you to think I was chasing after you for your fame or money.”

“Yeah, I can understand. I did the same.”

It was my turn to be confused, “What?”

Sebastian chuckled, “Baby girl, very few women I meet treat me like a person. Even the famous ones, they are either more famous and expect me to bow down to them, or they are less and think that they can use me to get ahead. The women I meet who aren’t in the industry, they fawn over me. But you… you treated me like just any other person from day one. I started falling…"

“Please don’t finish that sentence,” I pleaded with him.

He sighed, “I tried to keep my distance from you, but after my birthday it became a lot harder. I just wish you lived closer so I could see you more often.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask you to move to New York. As much as I may want to.” He placed a kiss to the top of my head, “We’ve got a full day planned tomorrow, so we should try to get some sleep.”

“Probably.” I ran my hand down his chest to his hips, letting my hand trail over his cock. As it hardened, I pushed myself up, leaning over Sebastian so I could kiss his lips. “But I’m still soaking wet and I want you again.” I straddled him, placing his cock at my entrance, “You up for that big boy?”

He thrust his hips up, entering me in one go. I moaned loudly, not even trying to muffle the sound. If Sebastian didn’t care if Chris heard, I definitely didn’t. Grinding my hips back and forth, I dug my fingers into his chest and bit my lip, “Fuck, you’re so big.”

He gripped my hips and held me in place, thrust his hips up so he could fuck me. With every thrust, he hit the sensitive parts inside of me and I could feel myself close to orgasm. He growled, “Damn, baby girl. I want you to scream for me. Make sure Chris knows exactly what we’re doing.” My pussy contracted at his words and he continued to fuck me, “Oh, you like that, do you? Do you like knowing that Chris can here? Is my baby girl a little bit of an exhibitionist?” He groaned, “Do you want him here with us? Us fucking you together? You would look so hot with both of our cocks fucking you.”

I placed my hands on his chest and shoved my hips down, squeezing his cock rhythmically as I rotated my hips. Then I started to move up and down, as fast as I could. When his hand moved from my hip to my clit and he started rubbing me, I came, screaming loudly, “Fuck, fuck, fuck. Sebastian.”

I collapsed on top of him and he continued to move inside of me, slower this time. Clenching my insides, I tightened each time he thrust in. He pushed into me a few more times, then came, groaning against my shoulder. We laid there for a few minutes, his hands rubbing my back, “Are you going to want another go? Or can we go to sleep?”

Laughing against his shoulder, I said, “God, I don’t think I could handle another go around. I wasn’t kidding when I said you were big. I’m going to be sore tomorrow, and probably for several days after.” I realized what he had said, “Why did you bring up Chris and you both fucking me?”

“Uh,” he sounded nervous so I pushed myself up so I could look at his face. He rolled me off of him, turning me so he could wrap around me from behind. “Remember your birthday?”

“Yeah.” I started to get nervous, “You told me I didn’t do anything stupid. Oh God, I did something stupid, didn’t I?”

Placing a kiss to my neck, he held me tight, “It wasn’t stupid, baby girl. Actually, it’s what made me realize that you might think of me as more than a friend. It’s why I decided to come and get you yesterday. Because I’ve liked you for a while and I wanted you here with me. Our conversation just helped push me to make a move.”

I turned in his arms so I could see his face, “I’ve liked you for a while too, Seb.” I placed a soft kiss on his lips, “What was it I did to make you come to that conclusion?”

“Are you sure you want to know?”

“Sebastian Stan, don’t play with me. I’ve been trying to figure it out for days now, but other than flashes of me… masturbating, I don’t remember anything.”

“Phone sex, baby girl. You were horny and called me for phone sex.” He trailed his fingers down my cheek, “You told me how you imagined me spanking you, fucking you hard. Then when I asked you to describe a fantasy, you told me how you imagined Chris and me fucking you at the same time. I still don’t know if it’s something you want, because if it is, I’m sure I can convince him to…”

“Oh God,” I buried my face in his chest. “Please don’t ask him. Yes, it’s a fantasy of mine to be taken by two guys at once, but I don’t know if I could ever look him in the eyes again if we did.” When I felt a little calmer, I looked back at him, “Did I really do that? Call you and… really?”

“It was the hottest thing that’s ever happened to me and I’ve done some pretty kinky things. But hearing you moan as you fucked yourself with your dildo…” He grinned, “If it weren’t for the fact that I’m almost forty and already come twice tonight, I would be hard again. And in case you're wondering, Chris would be down for it. We’ve…” He trailed off, but his face told me what he was going to say.

“You’ve what? Done it before?” When he just smiled and kissed me, I groaned and buried my face in his chest again, “Great, now I’m exhausted and horny.”

He placed a kiss to my head, “We’ve got all weekend, baby girl. We can discuss this tomorrow. Now, go to sleep, I’ve got stuff planned for us tomorrow. Seven comes awful early when you don’t go to bed until well after midnight.”

“Seven?” I groaned. “Why so early?”

“Well, we have somewhere to be at nine. And it will take about thirty minutes to walk there.” He yawned, “I need at least five hours to be functional, and going to sleep now is going to be pushing that.”


	10. New York

November 23

I woke up alone in bed, wrapped around Sebastian’s pillow. No alarm had gone off, but the sun streamed in his bedroom window, shining on my face. Sitting up, I winced. He had filled me up more than anyone else, and we had done it twice. Even though I still wanted him I was glad he wasn’t in bed with me. If he were, then I would have jumped him, making him take me again and again, until we were both exhausted. And to be quite honest, I wasn’t sure I could handle another round quite yet.

Getting out of bed, I walked gingerly over to Sebastian’s closet and pulled out one of his dress shirts, putting it on. It covered everything it needed to, so if Chris was awake I wouldn’t have to worry about him seeing me naked again. Not that I was worried about that. He had already seen everything. I moved gingerly toward the kitchen and the smell of coffee.

Sebastian and Chris were both dressed, leaning against the counter as they sipped on coffee. When I walked in, they both looked at me. Chris had a huge grin on his face, “So, did you have fun last night?”

“Oh, you know I did.” I raised an eyebrow, and moved over to Sebastian, leaning into his embrace, “The guest room isn’t that far away from the master.”

Chris sputtered and his face turned red, “I, uh…”

“It’s fine,” Sebastian laughed. “Don’t worry about it. The second time we knew you were home.”

If it were possible, he turned even redder, “You knew? And still…”

“It’s fine, Chris, really.” Sebastian rubbed my back, “I let you sleep in, baby girl. We need to leave soon if we’re going to make our first stop. I was thinking we could do tourist type stuff during the day, then go out dancing tonight.”

“Is Chris coming with us to the first place?” I asked him. But instead of looking at Sebastian, I kept my gaze trained on his friend. I couldn’t help but think about the three of us, together. Since he told me that he and Chris had shared a woman before, it was all I could imagine.

“No,” he chuckled. “Don’t worry, you’ll get to see more of him later.” He looked over at his friend, “Unless you’ve changed your mind and want to come with us?”

“As fun as it would be, I already have plans for the morning.” Chris looked at the clock, “And I need to get ready to go, or I’ll be late.”

After he left to go back to the guest room, Sebastian turned me toward him, dragging the shirt up so he could grab my ass and hold me close. He kissed me hard, moaning against my mouth, “Damn, I wish we had more time.”

I heard the shower turn on and I pulled my head back, “How long with Chris be?”

“A few minutes, maybe ten.” He gave me a strange look, “Why, what are you thinking?”

Sinking to my knees, I pulled down his shorts far enough that his hard cock escaped. “Well, I was thinking that if you’re horny enough, you could use my mouth to get off.” I licked the tip, happy when he groaned, “I can wait until later for me, but I’ve been dreaming about this for a while.”

His hands tangled in my hair, holding my head, “Open your mouth, baby girl.” When I did, he slipped into my mouth, sliding his cock back and forth on my tongue. Then he pulled me down until it hit the back of my throat and he held me there, “I remember you saying something about wanting to choke on my cock. Is this what you meant?”

I looked up at him, my eyes watering. Pushing myself further down, I held myself there until I needed to breathe. Tapping his hip, I pulled back and he released me, “I wish we had time for you to fuck me.” Watching his reaction, I gripped his cock, rotating my hand as I stroked up and down, “But I plan to get you off, baby. I want you to come in my mouth. Can you do that for me?”

As I took him in my mouth again, he raked his hands over my head but didn’t hold me this time, “Just suck me, baby girl. I won’t last long.”

I started moving my head up and down, sucking on each upstroke. As I raised my head, I ran my hand up and down, using it to help get him off. After a couple of minutes, he gripped my head in place and I just sucked, moving my tongue along his shaft as he groaned, then came in my mouth.

As I swallowed, I stood and pulled up his pants. Placing my hands on his chest, I smiled, “I should go get dressed.”

He pulled me close and kissed me gently, “Just put on something comfortable. No need to get dressed up fancy. Actually, if you have clothes you don’t mind sweating in, that would probably be best.”

“We’re going to Don’s, aren’t we?” I laughed, shaking my head, “I don’t work out.”

“You can just watch. But Don has a way of getting people to do things they never thought possible.”

Sebastian pulled me into the gym, his hand tight on mine. We had walked the entire way hand in hand, not caring if anyone saw us. I don’t think anyone recognized him, but even if they did I had decided to try my best not to care. Worrying about what might happen if someone saw, it just made me anxious. But choosing to just go with the flow made it less stressful. Besides, it made Sebastian happy. And if there was one thing I wanted out of life, it was for my man to be happy.

We walked to the back until he saw Don standing there, helping another guy with his bench press. When he saw Sebastian, he said something to the other guy and walked over. They did that man hug thing where they shake hands then go in for the chest bump half-hug.

Don turned to me, “You must be the woman Seb has told me so much about.” We shook hands and he grinned, “It’s nice to see that he’s met someone who doesn’t let him get away with his usual shenanigans. It’s a real pleasure to meet you, Daisy.”

I looked over at Sebastian, “I didn’t realize he talked about me that much.” 

Sebastian’s face flushed, “It’s not that often.”

“Don’t let him fool you, this boy is crazy about you.” Don looked at my comfy clothes, “Are you working out with us today?”

I ignored his first comment, not wanting to examine what it would mean. I shook my head, “No, I don’t work out, not really. Nothing other than yoga. But I’m more than happy to watch Seb do all the hard work.”

He gestured to the side, “Alright, you can stand over there. If you change your mind, just let me know. I’m great with beginners.”

For the next couple of hours, I watched as Don put Sebastian through a grueling workout. Pushups, situps, deadlifts… so many different activities. Through it all, he kept his attention on Don, doing whatever he said. Only during his short breaks did he look at me and smile. During his exercises, his muscles rippled, becoming even more defined, managing to make me hornier than I had been early that morning. When he finished, he came over to me and pulled me from my spot on the ground and into his arms.

Sweat dripped from his hair and face onto me, “Did you have fun, baby girl?”

“Watching you is a turn on, so yeah, I had fun.” I reached up and pulled his face down to me, kissing him, “But you need a shower.”

“Will you take one with me?”

The thought made me wetter, but I still felt a little sore. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I kissed him again, “But no sex until tonight.” At his pout, I said softly, “I’m a little… You’re fucking huge, Seb. I need a little more time to recover if I’m going to let you fuck my brains out tonight.”

A huge grin crossed over his face and he chuckled, “Well, that doesn’t mean we can’t do other things.”

“You two lovebirds are distracting my other clients,” Don said as he walked up to us laughing. He held out his hand for me to shake, “Daisy, it was a pleasure to meet you. I hope you come back and visit soon.”

“I’m sure that Seb will make sure I come back.” I looked at Sebastian, then pulled Don into a quick hug, whispering in his ear, “Thanks for helping to make him the confident man he’s become. He couldn’t have done it without you.”

When I released him, Don looked a little embarrassed, “Seriously, next time you come back, you’re working out too. You don’t need to get more gorgeous, but I promise it will be fun. ” As I shook my head, he said, “Promise me you’ll think about it.”

“I promise.”

“Alright, we’re out of here,” Sebastian did another man hug with Don. “I’ll catch you in a couple of days for our next training session.”

On the walk back to his condo, we held hands again. November in New York was pretty cold, so we were both bundled up enough that no one should notice us, and I wanted to be able to touch him. After so many years of not really ever touching anyone, I hadn’t realized how touch starved I was until meeting him in person. Halfway there, Sebastian started talking, “No getting mad at me, but I may have said something to Chris this morning.”

“About?” I gave him a quick glance. “Please tell me you didn’t tell him…”

“Sorry, baby girl, can’t do that.” He laughed, “I asked him what he thought about you. And in case you’re wondering, he thinks you’re pretty fantastic. Then, I had to ask him if he enjoyed looking at your body last night. His face turned bright red and I had my answer.”

I let out a sigh of relief, “Thank God, you didn’t ask him about having a threesome.”

“Actually…”

“Seb,” I felt my face grow red. “You didn’t?”

“I just asked him if he would consider it. That you had a fantasy and he could help you live it out. I reminded him that we had done it before, the only difference was it would be with you. He sputtered for several minutes, before saying he didn’t want to get in the way of our budding relationship. He thinks that him going us for a romp could have a detrimental effect on what we have.” We entered his building, waved at the guard, then got in the elevator, “I think if you want it to happen, you’re going to have to initiate. But he didn’t outright say no, so I’m sure he would be down. In fact, I’m fairly certain he’s at least a little attracted to you.”

I waited to respond until we were in the condo. Chris wasn’t there, so after Sebastian shut the door I said, “And you? Do you want to watch me kiss your friend, touch him, suck on his cock… maybe even fuck him?”

Sebastian stalked over to me and pulled me against his body, letting me feel his erection, “To be honest, just thinking about it makes hard. It wouldn’t be an ongoing thing, because I want you all to myself, but seeing you getting off with my best friend… Fuck, just the thought makes me want to bend you over this couch and fuck you until you can’t walk.” He pushed back, face serious, “But I would never want to do anything that made you uncomfortable. So if you truly don’t want to do it, I can just tell Chris to not worry about it.”

“I’m not sure I would be able to look at Chris the same way again if we all slept together, but I’ll think about it. Because quite honestly, thinking about you two using me to get off is turning me on. I’ve been fucking horny as hell all morning.” Backing away, I grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the shower, “Now, we should get clean before going out again. You can show me all the things we can do without actually having sex.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm out of town for work this week, so posting might be slow. Happy Monday!


	11. Point of No Return

November 23

The rest of the day was fun. We went to the Empire State building and did a lot of other super touristy things. People recognized Sebastian more often at those places, so we didn’t hold hands or act like a couple. I guess having me around was useful for his fans though because I could hold the camera and take pictures for them. Honestly, I didn't mind. Seeing how he lit up when people recognized him, blushing anytime they paid him a compliment, it made me fall even more in love with him.

When we got back to his condo, it was after dinner and Chris was already there, relaxing on the sofa watching television. He looked up at us, “Did you guys have fun today?”

His smile had my insides twisting about. I felt myself growing aroused, again, thinking about the three of us together. It was hard, but I managed to keep the horniness out of my voice, “Seb took me everywhere. I think he only took about five thousand pictures today with fans.”

“God,” Sebastian scrubbed a hand down his face. “It wasn’t nearly that many. I love my fans, but sometimes, I wish I could go out in public without people recognizing me. It can be exhausting when I’m just trying to be a normal guy for a day.”

“Trust me, I understand,” Chris said. He turned off the television and stood, “You still want to go out tonight?”

“Yeah. Let’s get ready and leave in... let's say twenty minutes?”

“Sounds good.”

We separated and went into the rooms. I took off my clothes and pulled on the only nice dress I owned. A little black dress that hugged my curves. I wore it every time I had a date, as I didn’t usually get all dolled up for anything else. As I watched Sebastian pulling on his clothes I had an idea, but I needed him to agree, “Would you be upset if we stayed here instead of going out?”

“Of course not,” he turned to leave the bedroom. “I’ll just tell Chris he’s on his own for the night.”

“Actually,” I felt my face flush when he turned back. “I was hoping he would stay here with us. Maybe we could…” My face burned brighter, but the glint in his eyes told me he knew what I was going to say. “Only if you’re okay with it though.”

“Baby girl, I said earlier I was. I’m not going to change my mind.” He walked over and pulled me into his arms. Tilting my face up, he said, “I know you’re mine. I’m not worried he’ll steal me from you. He wouldn’t even try. But if we do this, you’ll have to convince him. He thinks it will screw up his and my friendship, not to mention what we have.”

“And you’re sure it won’t?” I really didn’t want to come between these two men who had been friends for the better part of a decade.

“Absolutely certain,” he kissed my lips. “Go ask him to stay.”

I looked at his slacks and button-down shirt, “Will you stay in that? See you all dressed up, it does things to me.” He nodded and I left to knock on the guest bedroom door.

Chris answered the door as he was buttoning up his shirt over his dark wash jeans. I had forgotten how good his body was, I couldn’t help but stare. He chuckled, “What’s up, Daisy?”

I forced my eyes to his face, “I’m not really feeling up to going out so Seb and I are going to stay in.” He continued to button his shirt, giving me a confused look. I said, “I know that you were looking forward to going out, but since it’s my last night in New York, I was hoping that you would stay with us.”

“You guys don’t want some alone time?”

I licked my lips, my insides clenching with need when his eyes dropped, “I really want to spend some time with you, too.” He nodded and I grinned, stepping forward and wrapping my arms around his neck. I pressed my body flush against his and kissed his cheek, “Thanks, Chris. Keep the clothes on though. You look good in them.”

When I released him, he gave me a strange look, “Whatever you want.”

I smiled and went back to the master bedroom. Once the door was shut, I said, “He’s staying.”

“Did you talk to him about…”

“No,” I interrupted. “But I have an idea how to make him more receptive. Why don’t you go out to the living room and hang with Chris for a bit? I have a surprise for you anyway.” Laying a hand on his chest, I pressed a soft kiss on his lips, “Just don’t feel bad if I ignore you for a bit. I want to get him horny enough that he won’t be able to resist joining us in bed.”

“I think I can handle that. Just don’t expect anything to happen between me and Chris. I love him like a brother, but he’s not my type. I know it was part of your fantasy, but…”

“Don’t worry about it. I wasn’t expecting you guys to do anything,” I opened the door and shoved him through. “Let me get ready.”

After he left, I pulled out the outfit I had brought on the off chance I would work up the courage to wear it. It was my slave Leia costume from Halloween. I had brought it because I knew how happy it would make Sebastian seeing it in person.

I put it on, leaving off the underwear. So, I wore the bra and the skirt, which was basically two long strips of fabric that barely covered the front and back. Even though I hadn’t worn it on Halloween, I had brought the collar with plastic chain attached to complete the look. I put it on, hoping that it would just help to turn them on more.

Taking several deep breaths, I opened the door and walked out. Chris and Sebastian were sitting on the couch talking. As I entered the living room, they went silent and looked at me, eyes wide. Sebastian crooked his finger at me and I walked over, my pussy getting wetter with each step.

As I neared the chair, he grabbed the chain and pulled me down. I bent at the waist, my barely covered ass pointing straight at Chris. Sebastian grinned and said softly, “You brought this for me?” I nodded, “You look beautiful baby girl.” He pulled me closer and kissed me hard, “You should see how Chris is looking at you. Go over to him, do whatever you want. I’m going to enjoy watching my best friend touching you.”

He let go and I turned toward Chris. Swaying my hips from side to side, I stalked over to him, “So, what do you think, Chris?” I did a pirouette, making sure to turn fast enough that the skirt would lift and show him I didn’t have on any underwear, “I had this custom made a few years ago.”

“It’s…” he choked when I faced him again, his eyes unable to tear away from my hips.

I traced the details of the belt, “It was handmade, very well-done. Do you want to feel?” I bent down and grabbed his hand, bringing it to the skin near the belt. I placed his warm hand on my hip and shivered, “It cost me a pretty penny, but I think it was worth it. Don’t you?”

His eyes were dilated, fingers digging into my hip. “Fuck, Daisy. What are you doing?”

Moving, I straddled his lap, moaning when I felt his erection straining against his jeans. Leaning forward, I placed my lips against his in a chaste kiss, “All I’ve been able to think about all day, even at Don’s, was you and Seb taking me at the same time. Jesus, just thinking about you guys fucking me has made me hornier than I’ve been in a long time.”

His hands moved to my ass under the skirt and he groaned, “You’re not wearing any underwear.” His hands traveled up and undid the bra, tossing it to the side.

When his mouth attached to one of my nipples, I moaned loudly, “Chris, oh God, that feels so good.” I ground my hips against him, his jeans feeling just rough enough against my clit. I pulled back from him, “I want to feel you.”

He lifted me up a few inches, then undid his pants, pulling them down with his underwear. Looking over at Sebastian, he said, “Seb?”

His friend chuckled, “Do what you want Chris. Trust me, I’m getting off on watching you two.”

Chris looked up at me, “Do you want this, Daisy?”

Instead of answering, I grabbed his cock and lowered myself onto it. I moaned, “Fucking hell, Seb. He’s as big as you are. Oh, God.” I started moving my hips back and forth slowly, “I can just imagine how much you both will fill me up.”

Chris pulled my head toward him and kissed me hard while I started fucking him, bouncing up and down on his cock as hard and fast as I could. I felt him take off the skirt and toss it to the side, then put both of his hands on my hips and help move me up and down.

From behind me, I felt the collar being pulled and my lips detached from his. Sebastian tilted my head back, “Sorry, baby girl. But I wanted to kiss you too.” He kissed me hard while his hands went to my breasts, pinching my nipples. “Can you come for us, beautiful? Can you come for me on Chris’s cock?”

“I’m so close,” I kept moving my hips up and down. When a hand touched my clit, I shoved my hips down hard and screamed as I came, “Chris, fuck! God, you feel so good.”

Chris stopped my movement, just holding me in place. His head dropped to my chest and he took several deep breaths, “I don’t want to come yet. I’m not as young as I used to be.”

“She has a way of making you hard again. Trust me.” Sebastian ran his hands up and down my sides, eliciting moans from me, “Come for her, Chris. Show Daisy how fucking sexy she truly is.”

I started moving up and down again, tightening my muscles on every upstroke. Chris gripped my hips tightly, moving me up and down hard. When I ran my fingers over his chest and dug my nails into his chest, he thrust his hips up and came, yelling out.

As I slid off his lap, Sebastian was unbuttoning his slacks, “Let’s move this to the bedroom.” He winked at me, “I’ll be waiting. Why don’t you bring Chris back to the room?”

He gave me a soft kiss and walked away. Kneeling on the ground, I pulled Chris’s pants the rest of the way off, then leaned forward and started unbuttoning his shirt. When I saw his cock, laying against his leg, I couldn’t help myself. It was still flaccid, but I lowered my head and took it into my mouth, sucking gently. The taste of my juices on his cock managing to make me even wetter.

His hands threaded into my hair and he groaned. I could feel his cock hardening in my mouth as I sucked. Then I started moving my head up and down, fucking his cock with my mouth. Once he was fully hard, I pulled off him, “Ready to go to the bedroom, big boy?”

We stood and he kissed me hard, hands holding me against him, “Are you sure you want to do this, Daisy?”

Pulling away, I grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the bedroom, “I want you in my ass, Chris. That massive cock of yours is going to feel so good while I fuck Seb. Don’t quit on me now.”

Outside the door, Chris stopped me, “Are you sure?”

I looked at him, pretending to glare, “I’ve already had you in my pussy. I want you in my ass.” I stood on my toes and whispered in his ear, “Seb hasn’t had my ass yet. I want you to be the first.” He groaned and pushed me backward into the room, kissing me as he did. Sebastian was lying on the bed, stroking his hard cock. I pulled away from Chris and looked at my lover, “Do you have any lube?”

“Nightstand.”

I grabbed it and laid it on the bed, then climbed over Sebastian’s hips, sinking onto his cock. Laying my chest down on his, I moved my hips slowly, “Chris, come open me up. Then I want you guys to fuck me hard. Use me. Make me scream.”

Chris came up and opened the lube, putting some on his fingers. Sliding one finger in, he worked it in and out before adding a second finger. By the time he had inserted a third finger, I was fucking myself on Sebastian’s cock and his fingers. I looked over my shoulder, “Fuck me now, Chris. I need to come again and I want you inside of me when I do.”

He held me in place, slowly slipping his cock into my ass. It burned as he did, but it felt so good at the same time. Once he was all the way in, I moaned loudly and the boys started moving. They moved so slowly, I could feel an orgasm coming, but I needed more.

I held onto Sebastian’s shoulders and moved my hips, “Harder. Fuck me harder. I won’t break. Please, God, fuck me harder.”

“As you wish,” Sebastian said as he held me up. His hips started pistoning in and out of me and Chris did the same.

I could feel myself start to shake, the coming orgasm more intense than any I had ever felt before. My hips moved involuntarily and when I started to come, my entire body shook as I clenched down on them. The boys started moving faster and erratically.

Sebastian groaned, “Fuck, Chris. I can feel your cock fucking her. I’m not going to last.”

I leaned down and kissed him, pussy still fluttering from their assault, “Come for me.” When Chris leaned down and placed a kiss to my spine I shuddered and clenched down, another orgasm ripped through me. Both boys shouted and thrust into me a few more times, before coming.

Chris slipped out of me and I heard him stumble to the bathroom to grab a washcloth. As he walked back, Sebastian lowered me down next to him and Chris cleaned me up, then handed the cloth to Sebastian to use. Once he finished, Chris cleaned himself up then tossed it in the hamper. Leaning down, he pressed a gentle kiss to my lips, “You are amazing, Daisy. I see why Seb lo… likes you so much. You wore me out. I’m going to go back to my room and crash.”

I curled against Sebastian’s side, “Stay, please.” I looked at my lover, “Do you mind?”

“Stay with us, Chris. Make my girl happy.”

Chris climbed in behind me and wrapped an arm around my waist. Placing a kiss to my neck, he yawned, “Well, I can’t say no to that.”

November 24

The next morning I woke between the boys. I would have made them give me a repeat performance, but I was sorer than I had been the previous morning, and I had a flight to catch. Chris left me and Sebastian to get dressed, heading to his room to get some more sleep.

At the airport, Sebastian looked so sad, “I don’t want you to go.”

“I don’t want to go either. But I have a life to get back to. I have a job. I can’t just run away from all of that.” I pinched the bridge of my nose so I wouldn’t cry, “I’ll come back, I promise. Soon.”

“Daisy, I lo…”

I placed my hand over his mouth, “Not yet. Please, don’t say that yet. God, Seb, I’ve never wanted to hear those words more, but it will hurt too much to have you say them, then have to leave you.” My head fell against his shoulder, “I wish I could stay.”

“You should go, Daisy. Before I tell you the thing you won’t let me say.” He pulled away, “I’m really glad you came this weekend.”

“Me too.” Standing on my toes, I kissed him one more time, “I’ll call you when I land.”

“You better.” He gave me one last kiss, “Come back soon, baby girl. I don’t know how long I can wait to have you in my arms again.”


	12. Christmas Eve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the Atlanta airport waiting for my plane, decided to post the next chapter.

December 24

“Daisy, can you come downstairs for a minute?” my mother yelled.

I opened my door, trying not to cry. It had been a month since I left Sebastian. A month since I got to feel his lips against mine. I regretted every day that I didn’t live in New York. That I hadn’t even tried to find a job there so I could spend more time with him. When I got downstairs, I sighed, “What?”

She handed me a folded up piece of paper and sighed, "You've been so down lately. Ever since you got back from New York. Your father and I want you to go. We'll miss you here, but you should go to Sebastian."

I opened the piece of paper and saw a flight that left in a couple of hours. "Mom, you guys didn't have to do this."

"Yes, yes we did. Your father and I love you. We just want you to be happy. So, go to New York and tell Sebastian exactly how you feel." She gave me a smile, "We can both see how much you care about him. Especially, given how sad you've seemed the past month."

I wrapped my arms around her, "Thank you."

When I pulled back, she handed me a small wrapped box, “Sebastian sent this here for you. You should take it so you can open it with him.”

My eyes welled with tears, but I just nodded and took it from her. Heading upstairs, I started to pack. It didn't take me long. I didn't know how long I was going to be there, but if I needed more clothes I could just buy them. I honestly didn't care if I had any clothes, I just wanted to see him.

It was late afternoon when the taxi pulled up in front of his building. I got out, pulling the suitcase behind me. When I walked up to the front desk, the guard looked at me, "How can I help you?"

"I'm here to see Sebastian Stan. I should be on the list," I got out my identification to hand it to him.

"Yes ma'am, you are on the list. Just let me call him and let him know you're on your way up."

"Uh, I was hoping I could surprise him. He doesn't know I'm coming, and… please," I pleaded with them.

"Ma'am, I'm really not supposed to." When he looked at my pleading eyes, he sighed, "Luckily for you, Sebastian put you down as somebody who can come and go as they please. Go on up, if you need anything else my name is Brian."

"Thank you, Brian." I got on the elevator and took it up to his floor. When I got to his door, I stood there for a minute a little worried about how he would react to the surprise of me showing up out of the blue. I know he would be happy, but I didn't even know if he would be home or not. We hadn’t really discussed our plans around Christmas. The only thing I knew is that he would be with his mother tomorrow.

I rang the doorbell, and after a minute it opened. This gorgeous woman stood there, half-naked, wearing only one of Sebastian's dress shirts. The same dress shirt I had worn after our first night together. Her hair was all messy like she had just climbed out of bed, but she gave me a big smile. "Hi, how can I help you?" I couldn't respond. I didn't know what to say to this woman who was in Sebastian's condo. "Well, I know you're not here to see me. You must be here to see Sebby." She turned to look into the apartment, yelling, "Sebby, baby, you have a visitor."

I backed away from the door as she yelled, starting to walk back toward the elevator as fast as I could. I managed to hold back tears until I press the button to call the elevator back up. Footsteps ran down the hall, and a hand grabbed my arm.

When I turn to look at him with tears rolling down my cheeks, his smile turned into a frown, "Baby girl, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" My voice rose, "What's wrong? I just met your whore, that's what's wrong."

"My whore? What are you talking about?" He seems really confused. "She’s just…"

"I don't want to know who she is, Sebastian. All I want to do is go. I shouldn't have come, I shouldn't have surprised you. This is my fault. If I just let you know I was coming…"

The elevator arrived and I got in, pressing the button for the ground floor. But Sebastian put his arm out to stop the doors from closing, "What the hell are you talking about? She's just a friend of a friend who needed a place to stay for a few days while she was in town for an audition."

"And that's why she answered the door half-naked?" I glared at his arm, "Just let me go, Sebastian. Before one of us says something we'll regret."

He pulled his arm out and as the door shut, he shook his head. Once the doors were shut, I heard him yell and I heard a loud bang against the elevator. I started sobbing as the elevator took me down.

When I walked out to the lobby, I made it all the way to the front door but couldn't leave. What was I doing? I didn't even give him a chance to explain, just assumed. I sat down on a bench inside the lobby and wiped at my cheeks. Taking out my phone, I stared at it willing for him to call or text. Anything.

I sat there for several minutes, staring at the phone. When nothing happened, I sighed and put the phone back in my purse. Leaning my back against the wall, I stared at the ceiling and tried to stop crying so I could leave to find a hotel.

The elevators dinged, but I didn't bother to look to see who's getting off. After a few seconds, I felt a presence standing in front of me and lowered my head so I could look at them. Sebastian stood there, wearing just the sweatpants and t-shirt that he had been wearing when he came after me.

He looked really sad, "Is this how it's going to be? Every time you see something that you don't understand, you run away? Do you really think so little of me, do you really think that I would cheat on you?'

I started crying again, and said softly, "Sebastian, she was wearing your shirt. Just like I... What was I supposed to think? We never talked about what we were. We never talked about making it exclusive. I just assumed…" Shaking my head, I tried to clear my thoughts, "I can't be mad at you for doing something when I never asked you not to.”

"Fuck," he ran a hand through his hair. "She was wearing my shirt?" I nodded and he grimaced, "Hold on."

He walked away from me and pulled out his cell phone, but I could still hear what he said. "Stacy, I need you to pack up and leave... You answered the door half-naked, in my shirt... You have other clothes, there was no reason for you to answer the door in my shirt other than you trying to insinuate something happened that didn't... Don't try to justify it, pack up and get the hell out of my house. I was trying to do something nice for Shailene, but you can bet your ass I'm going to be telling her about this… You've been trying to sleep with me for the past few days, and I don't want you around my girlfriend."

He hung up and walk back over to me, sitting down on the bench. "I'm sorry, baby girl. She'll be down in a little bit. But we still need to talk about how you don't trust me."

"I trust you," I tried to argue.

"No, you don't or we wouldn't be having this conversation." He sighed again, "However, this is partly my fault. I should have told you that I wanted us to be exclusive when you left after Thanksgiving. But now…"

"I fucked it all up again, didn't I?" I took several deep breaths trying to stem the flow of tears, "I'm sorry that I'm so insecure. You deserve so much better than me, Sebastian."

“Look, I'm not going to make you go up there while she's still there. I'm going to go up, make sure she's packing, and grab my sneakers. We'll go get a coffee and talk about us." He looked over at me, "Can you wait for me?"

I nodded, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, baby girl. Being sorry doesn't help anything. You have to be willing to change." He stood and looked down, "But, I need to change too. Because obviously I didn't do a good enough job showing you how much I care for you." He ran his hand through his hair again, "I'll be right back down. I'll just take your luggage up, that is if you still want to stay with me?"

All I could do was nod, so he took my luggage and went back upstairs. I got up and walked over to Brian, "Is there a bathroom down here?" He pointed off to the side, and I smiled gratefully. I went into the bathroom and wash down my face, trying to get rid of some of the puffiness and redness from crying. 

When I came back out, Sebastian was already there, having changed into a pair of jeans and put on a jacket. He smiled when he saw me come out of the bathroom, "I was a little worried you had left." He held out his hand to me, "I don't care if the entire world knows we're together. You're my girl, and unless you decide you don't want to be with me anymore, I'm not letting you go."

I intertwined my fingers with his, "Lead the way."

We ended up at a coffee shop not that far from his building. He must have been a regular there because no one seemed to fawn over him. We ordered our coffees and sat down. It was noisy enough inside that no one would hear us if we talked quietly.

"All right, I need you to know how much I care about you. I want us to be exclusive, I want us to consider ourselves in a relationship," Sebastian said. "I want…"

"Wait," I held his arm tight. "Let me talk first. I'm an idiot. And don't argue with me, because I know you will. I have a lot of leftover insecurity issues from my last relationship. The things he said to me at the end… It's not an excuse for the way I've treated you, but I just want you to understand why I sometimes say the things I do." The barista brought over coffee so I paused until he had left. "I think the reason that seeing her in your apartment hurts so much, is because I... Fuck, I don't know how to say this."

"Just say it baby girl, I won't be mad at you."

"Oh, I'm not worried about you being mad at me for this I just... I think it might be too soon." I turned so I could look into his eyes, "I'm just going to say it before I lose my nerve. I've fallen in love with you. Madly, deeply in love. So, seeing this gorgeous girl answer your door half-naked, wearing nothing but one of your shirts, my mind went straight to this horrible place that I never wanted to go."

"Baby girl…"

"Let me finish, please. I do trust you, and I should have let you explain without running off. It's just, the first thought that ran through my head was, what am I doing here? I couldn't help but think that I'd fallen for a man who could have anybody, why would he want me?" I laid my head against his shoulder, and close my eyes, "I wouldn't blame you for not wanting to deal with my crazy insecurities anymore."

"Can I talk now?" He pushed me away so he could grab my face to look at him, "I never thought I would get to hear those words from you. God, I love you, Daisy. I'm not going to leave you because you thought the worst. All I ask is that next time you talk to me. Tell me what you’re thinking. Besides, I can't be too mad at you for thinking the same thing I would have in your shoes. If I were visiting you, and some half-naked guy opened the door, my mind would go straight to the worst possible reason. And not because I don't trust you, but just because that's human nature."

He pressed a soft kiss to my lips, "I need you to promise me one thing though, and I'll promise you the same."

"Anything."

"Next time you get scared, talk to me. No running off, no telling me to let you go. I love you, more than I ever thought I could love anybody. But, I can't keep going through this." He looked like he was about to cry, "You have the power to break my heart into a million pieces. So please, no more running away. No more avoiding conversations."

I pulled his head down to mine and kissed him, not caring who saw, "I'm sorry, baby. I love you, Sebastian Stan. I would let the whole world know you were mine if I could."

"Really?"

"I don't care who knows anymore. You're mine now, and I don't ever plan on letting you go."

He pulled out his phone and turned on the camera, "Let's do this then." He pulled me closer and kissed me softly, taking a picture. Then, he opened Instagram and posted the picture with the caption,  _ I'm absolutely crazy about this girl. I love you 3000, Daisy.  _ He made sure to tag me in it as well.

When he put away the phone, I looked at him, "I can't believe you did that."

He looked scared for a minute, "Are you mad. I can delete it."

"Don't you fucking dare." I pulled out my phone and went to his post to leave a comment.  _ You are my heart and soul. I don't know how I got so lucky, but I love you more than there are stars in the sky.  _ "Think this will get me more followers?" I laughed, "I'll be the best Sebastian Stan fan account out there because I actually get to love him for real."

"Oh God, I've created a monster." He kissed me soundly, "Want to head back to the condo? There is something else I want to do with you, but I think it might be frowned upon in public."

"Are you going to spank me, Mr. Stan? Teach me not to be a bad girl?"

As we stood, he pulled me into his arms, "No, I'm going to love you. I’m going to show you how much you mean to me." He winked, "Then, I'll punish you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Go read this story by MedievalContessa. It is very well done and portrays Bucky very accurately, IMHO. If you haven't found her already, go show her some love.  
https://archiveofourown.org/works/20596538


	13. Christmas

December 25 

“Come on, Daisy, you need to wake up,” hands shook me gently.

When I opened my eyes, I felt myself start to tear up, “It wasn’t a dream. I’m really here.”

“It wasn’t a dream.” He bent over the bed, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips. I saw that he was already fully dressed, wearing a pair of jeans and a thick sweater. “We’ve got to go, beautiful. My mother was expecting me last night, but when you showed up I called her and explained that I wouldn’t be there until the morning. But she made me promise to be there by 9:30. If we don’t leave soon, we aren’t going to make it.”

“Fuck, Seb, why did you let me sleep so late?” I bounded out of bed, rushing over to my suitcase. I dug through the little clothes I had brought, my hand hitting the small box my mother had given me. Taking it out, I handed it to him, “Maybe you should hold onto this until we get there.”

He took it, turning the box over in his hands, “You can open it now if you want.”

I stood, “Do you want me to open it now?” He looked conflicted, but didn’t hand me the box, “I love you, Sebastian. I don’t need anything from you other than your love. To be honest, that is the best Christmas present I could have imagined. Knowing that you love me, that's literally all I need from you.” I took a deep breath before continuing, “I’m not with you for things, or for the money. I’m with you because when I look at you, talk to you, or even think about you, I’m filled with this indescribable feeling that grows larger with each passing day. I’m in love with YOU, Sebastian, not your occupation and certainly not your money.”

He grinned and tossed the box on the bed before stalking over to me, “Fuck, I love you.” His lips captured mine in a fiery torment as he pulled me hard against him. When he released me, he laid his forehead against mine, breathing ragged, “God, I wish we had more time. Get dressed, baby girl, and bring clothes for tomorrow. My mother will expect us to stay the night.”

When I went back to my suitcase and started getting dressed, he added, “Just a little warning, my mother will probably start talking about marriage the second she meets you. You’re the first…” He swallowed hard, “You’re the first girl I’ve brought to her house. She’s met my ex’s, but you’ll be the first to actually spend a holiday with her. Once she realizes how much I love you, all she will be able to talk about is when we’re getting married so we can give her grandchildren.”

I looked up at him, “Seb, I love you, but it’s too soon to even think about having a child, let alone multiple.”

“Don’t worry, I know you don’t want more than one.” He laughed, “Shit, I’m not sure I want more than one. Kids are a handful.”

Taking out a wrapped package, I set it down on the floor, then grabbed clothes for the next day. In my haste, I had forgotten my nightshirt, “Seb, can I borrow one of your shirts to sleep in?”

“You can just sleep naked. It’s not like she’s just going to barge into my room.”

“Oh God, we can’t sleep together. She’ll know we’re…”

“Baby girl,” he laughed. “My mother will know we’re fucking the second she sees us together. Besides, she’s not old fashioned that way. As long as we are married before children, she doesn’t care what we do.”

“No sex at her house.” He laughed again and I glared, “I mean it, Sebastian. I’m going to be anxious enough meeting your mother for the first time at Christmas. I don’t need to…”

He stopped laughing and took me in his arms, “Don’t worry, baby girl. I have no plans to molest you at my mother’s. Even that is too much for me. Now, do you have everything you need?”

I handed him the package and clothes, “The gift is for you. Shit, should we stop and get something for your mother? I didn’t realize I would be meeting her.”

“It’s fine. Relax,” he put the stuff into his duffel bag. “Now come on, we’re already going to be late.”

Sebastian turned the key in the front door, pushing it open. His mother lived in northern New York, far enough away from the city that she could have a little bit of land, but close enough that it only took us a couple of hours to drive there. He yelled as we entered, “Mamă, sunt acasă. Unde eşti? (Mom, I’m home. Where are you?)”

A figure came hurrying out, throwing herself into Sebastian’s arms. She started talking in Romanian, her words coming out so fast I could barely make out what she was saying. Not that I would have understood her anyway. She looked over at me, “Cine este acesta? (Who is this?)”

“Mama, this is Daisy.” He took my hand and pulled me close. Wrapping his arm around my shoulders, he gave me a comforting squeeze, “Daisy, this is my mother, Georgeta.”

I held out my hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Stan. You’ve raised a wonderful man.”

She shook my hand and scoffed, “Please, call me Georgeta.” She looked over at her son, “E surpriza despre care mi-ai povestit? (Is she the surprise you were telling me about?)”

“English, mama. I haven't had a chance to teach her any Romanian.” He let go of me and we moved inside, “And yes, she is. Daisy and I…”

I interrupted him, “I’m sorry to have kept him from you last night, Mrs… Georgeta. He wasn’t expecting me and we had some talking to do about… us.”

“As I was going to say,” Sebastian placed a kiss to the top of my head, “Daisy and I are in love, mama. I wanted her to meet you.”

She clapped her hands together, a big smile coming over her face, “Copilul meu e îndrăgostit. E cel mai bun cadou pe care l-ar fi putut cere o mamă. (My baby is in love. This is the best present a mother could have asked for.)” Georgeta pulled me into her arms, switching back to English, “Welcome to the family, Daisy. I’m so happy Sebastian finally found someone he’s happy with. I’m assuming that you’re the reason he’s been so happy the past several months.”

“Mama, you’re embarrassing her.”

“Nonsense,” she pulled back and looked at me. “Are you embarrassed?”

I chuckled, “No, ma’am. I love him. To be honest, he makes me happier than I’ve been in a long time too.”

“Well, I bet my Sebby is expecting me to talk about marriage and kids,” we both laughed. “But I’m not going to do that. Let me get you guys some coffee and then we can open presents.”

Grabbing my hand, Sebastian led me into the living room. A huge tree sat in one corner, several presents underneath. Some of them were in the same paper of the gift that he had given me, so I assumed they were for his mother. He tossed the duffel bag onto a chair, taking out the two packages and placing them on the couch before sitting down.

Georgeta came back out with two cups and handed them to us, “Merry Christmas.” She went and got a couple of gifts, then looked at me, “I’m sorry, I don’t have anything for you. Sebby didn’t tell me that you were coming, or that you guys were dating.”

I carefully pulled the cup away from my face, trying not to laugh. Looking at Sebastian, he had a guilty look on his face. I gave him my best ‘what the fuck’ look, “You told Chris, Mackie, AND Don about me, but not your mother?”

“Um…” he sounded even more guilty than he looked.

“Seriously,” I kept going, having fun at how uncomfortable he got. “She’s your mother.”

“Baby girl,” he pleaded.

It took everything I had not to laugh. I placed a chaste kiss on his lips, “It’s fine, baby. I’m just messing with you.” I looked at Georgeta, “We’ve only been dating a month and I don’t live in New York.”

“Wait, but you said you two are in love?” she looked so confused.

“Mamă, trebuie să discutăm asta acum? (Mama, do we have to discuss this now?)”

“Da.” She crossed her arms over her chest, but spoke gently, “Vreau să mă asigur că femeia asta nu profită de băiețelul meu. (I want to make sure this woman isn't taking advantage of my baby boy.)”

“Mama,” he shook his head. Sighing, he grabbed my hand, rubbing his thumb on my palm. I could feel how tense he was, so I just sat there quietly, not asking what they had been saying. He took a few seconds to gather his thoughts, then said, “I’ve known Daisy since May. I’ve loved her for a while now, we just started dating at Thanksgiving. Okay? She’s not trying to take advantage of me. In fact, every time I try to spend money on her, she yells at me for it.”

His mother had the decency to look embarrassed, “I’m sorry, Sebby. I just worry about you.”

“It’s alright,” I said. “Trust me, I would be wondering the same thing if I were you. If it makes you feel any better, I think he could do a lot better than me.” Sebastian started to speak, but stopped when I glared at him, “Don’t say a word, just let me say what I need to.” Turning back to his mother, I continued, “I haven’t had the best luck with relationships. My last boyfriend, I was with him for a year. It ended four years ago. I told him that I loved him because I thought I did. But he just smiled and kissed me. A few months later, he showed up at my apartment and told me that he wasn’t breaking up with me, but that he wasn’t in love with me. Needless to say, I dumped him right then. But for months after, I was heartbroken, unable to figure out what I had done wrong.”

“You never told me about that,” Sebastian said softly.

“Yeah, well, it’s not my proudest moment.” I wiped at a tear that started to roll down my cheek, “I realized later I wasn’t in love with him, but the things he said made it hard for me to trust anyone again. I’ve already hurt your son twice now, neither time on purpose, but still, I hurt him. I don’t understand why he stays with me, but I’m not letting him go if I can help it. I love him. I love him so much and it kills me that I’m going to have to go home in a few days. Does he deserve better than me? Yes. But I do hope that I can one day be worthy of his love.”

Georgeta looked like she was going to cry, but she just took several deep breaths, then handed Sebastian a present. “I’ll be right back.”

When she left, Sebastian pulled me onto his lap and buried his face against my neck. I could feel wetness against my skin and realized he was crying. My fingers ran through his hair as I tried to keep myself from crying as well. Taking a few shuddering breaths, he lifted his head, “You are the best thing to ever happen to me. You are perfect for me, baby girl. You are exactly what I deserve, a woman who loves me with her whole heart. And if I have to get down on my knee and tell you that, I will.”

My heart sped up when I realized what he meant. But it was too soon, so I cupped his face between my hands and kissed him deeply. Drawing back, I looked into his eyes, “I love you.”

His mother came back into the room, a couple of things in her hands. I climbed off Sebastian’s lap and she handed them to me. I saw a photo album and a small bag. She sat down, “The photo album is one of Sebastian from the time he was a little baby, all the way up until now. I had intended to give it to him at the birth of his first child, but I want you to have it.”

I opened the book, seeing a young Georgeta holding a tiny baby. She spoke again, “The bag contains my grandmother’s pearls.”

“I can’t take these,” I said shocked.

“Nonsense,” she said sternly. “They are one of the few things I have left of my family back in Romania. I was saving them for Sebastian’s wife.” She smiled, “I look at you and I can tell how much you two love each other. So please, take them.”

I got up and pulled her into my arms, holding on tightly, “Thank you.”

The next hour or so was spent with Georgeta and Sebastian opening gifts from each other. I learned quickly that they had a rule about presents since Sebastian had a lot more money than his mother. Whatever they gave one another had to be under $25 or handmade. So they ended up getting a lot of gag gifts, as well as a few things they had made one another. When it came time to open the gifts we had brought, Georgeta watched with eager anticipation.

I handed him my gift first. It was a rather large package, seeing as how I had put the finished product into a frame. “I didn’t know about the handmade rule when I made this for you. But I hope you like it.”

He opened the package and stared at the piece. He said in a hushed tone, “You made this?”

“Well, I didn’t make the pattern, but I did stitch it.” I started to get nervous, “Do you like it?”

“Do I like it? I love it.” He put it down and kissed me, “First of all, Zootopia was an awesome movie. Second of all, Judy and Nick as Captain America and the Winter Soldier makes it even better. Chris is going to be so jealous. Actually, I’m going to text him a picture of it right now.”

[Here is a link to the pattern: [ https://www.etsy.com/listing/398028521/bogo-free-zootopia-captain-america-the?ref=cart ](https://www.etsy.com/listing/398028521/bogo-free-zootopia-captain-america-the?ref=cart)]

As he did that, I twisted the smaller box in my hands. I waited until the phone was put away again to start peeling away the paper. As I did, he said, “Don’t worry, it’s not a ring.”

Opening the box, I saw the most gorgeous necklace, “Seb, you remembered.”

“Well, I know how much you hate the fact that they use yellow topaz for your birthstone. That’s actually London blue topaz, and surrounding it is diamonds.” I looked at him shocked. He smiled, “It wasn’t that expensive. I just wanted to get you something nice. It was less than the iPhone, I promise.”

[And here is a link to the necklace: [ https://www.etsy.com/listing/708611685/diamond-and-cushion-cut-london-blue?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=london+blue+topaz+necklace+halo&ref=sr_gallery-1-10&organic_search_click=1&pro=1&frs=1 ](https://www.etsy.com/listing/708611685/diamond-and-cushion-cut-london-blue?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=london+blue+topaz+necklace+halo&ref=sr_gallery-1-10&organic_search_click=1&pro=1&frs=1)]

“Seb,” I pulled the necklace out of the box and clasped it around my neck. My fingers held it as I looked at him, “It’s beautiful.”

“Beautiful necklace for…”

“If you say for a beautiful girl, I might scream,” I said jokingly.

“I was going to say, drop-dead gorgeous girl, but if it will get you to scream,” he laughed.

“Alright,” Georgeta stood up. “Who wants some breakfast?”

December 26 

I woke early, extricating myself from Sebastian’s arms. The smell of coffee coming from downstairs had wafted into our bedroom, waking me up. He stirred slightly but kept sleeping. Quietly, I left our room and went downstairs.

Even though I was wearing only his shirt, Georgeta didn’t look at me any different than she had the day prior. She poured me a cup of coffee, then gestured for me to sit at the table, sitting in the seat next to me. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“You make my son happy,” she laid her hand over mine. “Sebby, he didn’t have the easiest time growing up. Moving to America when he was twelve, the kids at school picked on him because of his accent. He worked so hard to get rid of it, but he never forgot where he came from.” Squeezing, she let go, “You’re the first woman he’s brought into my home. I’ve met his ex’s, and while there was a brief moment in time where I thought he might get married to one of them, none of them made his eyes brighten the way he does with you.”

“Georgeta…”

“He loves you so much, Daisy. I can tell. And I know you’ll probably say it’s too soon to talk about marriage, but I’m pretty sure that boy would ask you today if he thought you would say yes.”

I rubbed my eyes and sighed, “I love him so much. And if he asked me right now, I would say yes. In a heartbeat, I wouldn’t even hesitate. But I do think it’s too soon. I’m worried that if he asked me right now, we would end up divorced in a few years because we couldn’t stand one another.” I gave her a long look, “If I ever lost Sebastian, it would kill me. I was scared to admit how much I cared for him before Thanksgiving because I thought for certain he couldn’t feel the same. There was no way that someone like him could love someone like me. So I hid my feelings so I wouldn’t lose him as a friend.”

“Oh, sweetie,” her voice broke. “You’re not going to lose him.”

“What if I do something to screw it up? I’ve already messed up twice. What if I do something unredeemable?”

“First of all, nothing is truly irredeemable if you love someone.” She glared at me to stop me from arguing, “He loves you, anyone with half a brain can see that. At least now I know why he’s been so happy the past several months. Second of all, you guys are going to get mad at one another. That’s what happens in relationships. The way to tell if you are going to last is if you come out of those arguments with your relationship being stronger or not. From everything I can see, he’s not going anywhere.”

I laid my head down on my arms to hide my tears, “I’m just scared. I’m terrified that he’ll wake up one day and realize that he could do better.”

“Sweetheart,” I heard a pained voice say from behind me. A large hand rested on my back and I looked over to see Sebastian crouching down by me, “I don’t want better, I want you.” He looked at his mother, “Mama, I’m going to take her to my room to talk. We’ll be back in a little while.”

She smiled, “Take your time.”

Picking me up in his arms, he carried me upstairs and dropped me onto the bed, then laid down next to me, holding me tight against his body. He sighed, “What can I do to help you realize how much I love you?”

“I already know,” my voice sounded small and pained, even to myself. “It’s not that I don’t think you love me, Seb. It’s just that I’m not good enough. I’m so fucked up. No one has been able to love me before. Maybe I’m just not meant to be in a relationship.”

“Baby girl, when I said I love you, I meant all of you. I love your strengths and your weaknesses. I love everything about you.” He rubbed my back absently, “I’m not going to ask you to marry me, because it’s too soon. But know that I have every intention of marrying you and spending the rest of my life with you.” Pushing himself up, he looked down at me, “Now, I know I said before I wouldn’t ask you about this. But would you be willing to move to New York?”

“I…” I wanted nothing more than to say yes. To shout out that I would move to his city. But I was still terrified of how fast our relationship was moving. I was still terrified that he would realize I was a mistake, “I need a job first.”

“You can move in with me and then look for a job. I just want you with me all the time.” He ran a finger down my cheek, “I would move to you, but…”

“No, I can’t have you do that. Your friends and family are here. Not to mention Don,” I shook my head. “The only thing I have there are my parents. It’s not like I have any friends there. My friends all live on the other side of the country.”

“Please, baby girl, say you’ll move in with me?”

“I need to think about it, Seb.” I closed my eyes so I didn’t have to see the pain in his, “I can’t let you take care of me like that. I know you can afford it, but I’m not with you for the money. And if I just let you take care of me, I will feel like I’m taking advantage of you.”

He sighed, “Fine, we don’t have to talk about it right now.” Placing a kiss to my lips, he stood, “Tomorrow I’ve got a party to go to at Robert’s, do you want to come?”

“Seb,” I stood as well, walking over to him so I could wrap my arms around his waist. “Please don’t be upset. I know you love me, and I’m working on not being anxious about our relationship. Just… don’t be mad that I won’t move in with you yet. I love you, I just need time to figure it out.”

“I’m not upset, not really,” he kissed the top of my head. “I understand why you are hesitant. Just think about it. That's all I'm asking for.” Pulling back, he plastered a smile on his face, “Now, about that party…”


	14. Avenger's Christmas

December 27

We pulled up into Robert’s long driveway. Sebastian had convinced me this wasn’t a dressy affair, so I wore my jeans and one of his sweaters. It was too big for me, but when he had handed it to me, a pretty pink blush on his cheeks, I couldn’t say no. He wore jeans too but had a much nicer shirt with a warm jacket on top.

He had also told me that no one exchanged gifts at this thing. It was literally just the cast of the Marvel movies getting together to spend some time with each other. They didn’t get to see each other as often, as they were off filming movies during the year, so they didn’t get to be together as a group very often.

Not bothering to knock, Sebastian opened the door and pulled me into the house. Chris was the first to see us, and he rushed over, pulling me off of the floor into a big bear hug, “Daisy, it’s so good to see you again. I’m glad you could make it.” He put me down, “Did Seb bring you up here for Christmas?”

“Uh, actually,” my face burned. “I kind of just showed up a few days ago. I thought I would surprise him.”

Sebastian placed his hand on my back, rubbing to try and ease my discomfort, “Best surprise ever. It’s too bad you’re not on Instagram Chris, you would have seen…”

“Oh, I saw,” Chris laughed. “I don’t think you realize how dedicated your fans are. I got tagged in so many tweets showing the picture you posted, I got whiplash. I’m really happy for both of you. Now, come on, let Daisy meet the others. They’ve been wanting to meet her for a long time. Especially Robert, after he found out that she is a writer at Halloween, he's been practically bouncing with anticipation all night.”

If it were possible, my face burned even brighter. But the boys ignored me, just leading me deeper into the house. We passed by Jeremy, saying a few words to him. I liked his singing and his portrayal of Hawkeye, but he had a lot of traits that made me not like him too much. Mark was talking with Mackie when we approached.

Once Mackie noticed me, he grinned and walked over, grabbing my shoulders with his hands, “Damn, Daisy. I knew you would be gorgeous, but… damn.” He looked over at Sebastian, he gave him a sly grin, “You sure you don’t want to run away with me?”

I leaned toward him conspiratorially, “Well, I would, but I kind of love Sebastian. It wouldn’t be fair to you.”

“You got me,” he pulled me into a hug. “I’m glad I got to meet you, finally. Almost makes me want to move to New York so I can see more of you and Seabass.”

“Uh…”

“No talk of moving, Mackie,” Sebastian said. “We haven’t discussed it yet, we’re certainly not going to do it right now.”

“Sorry,” he held up his hands.

I turned to look at Mark, “I’m not a fan of smart Hulk, but I really liked your portrayal of Bruce Banner. While Norton was good in the Incredible Hulk, I’m really glad that you were the one they chose for the other movies.”

Mark gave me a look like he didn’t know what to say. He asked, “Why don’t you like smart Hulk?”

“Don’t get her started on Endgame, she’ll go off on a tangent and we’ll be here until the New Year,” Sebastian said as he laughed.

Chris frowned, “What about Endgame?”

“Um,” I closed my eyes. “Maybe talking about this isn’t such a good idea.”

“Did you not like it?”

Sighing, I looked at Sebastian, “Will he really be upset if I tell him?”

“It’s up to you, baby girl.”

“Fine,” I looked at Mark first. “It’s not that smart Hulk wasn’t a good idea. I just didn’t like that they had time to show him getting asked for an autograph by fans, and Natasha didn’t get a funeral. Hell, Tony didn’t even remember that the other Avengers were her family.” Looking at Chris, I sighed loudly, “I wasn’t a fan of Steve’s ending. I couldn’t imagine him leaving his best friend behind after getting him back after five years. He spent three movies trying to save him, then the second he has a chance, he goes back to a woman who got married and had kids with another man. I just didn’t like it.”

“Oh,” Chris’s face fell and I knew I shouldn’t have said anything.

I pulled away from Sebastian and gave Chris a hug, saying softly, “Don’t feel bad, please. I wasn’t a fan of the ending, but you did a great job in the movie.”

When we separated, he gave me a small smile, “Thanks. I wasn’t a fan either, but I can’t help but get upset when I find out people don’t like something I did.”

“Well hey, you already know I loved What’s Your Number. Remember, naked guitar scene,” I waggled my eyebrows at him.

When he laughed, I felt a lot better, “Alright guys, we’ve got other people for her to meet.” He grabbed my hand, dragging me through the house. Sebastian followed closely, just shaking his head at us while smiling.

“And who’s this beautiful lady?” a deep Australian voice said. When I turned, I saw Chris Hemsworth standing there, a beer in his hand. My mouth dropped open and I couldn’t respond. He just laughed, “Are you the secret Sebastian has been keeping from us?”

Sebastian pushed me forward, whispering, “Just go say hi.”

“But… it’s Chris Hemsworth.” I felt my face heat up, again. “He’s…”

“I know, he’s dreamy.” He kept pushing me forward, “He doesn’t bite.”

I stopped a couple of feet from him, my face still beet red. I said softly, “Hi.”

“You must be Daisy,” he held out his hand for me to shake. When I did, he pulled me into a hug, “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I was still struck speechless. There’s something about being this near a man that was a walking wet dream. If it weren’t for the fact that he was married and I was with Sebastian, I would have probably been a lot more nervous to meet him. He chuckled and let me go, “Well, I’ll let you meet everyone else. The others are in the living room.”

Before we left, I turned to him, “It was nice to meet you.”

Once in the living room, I saw Robert and Scarlett sitting on the couch talking. Sebastian and I took a seat on the other couch, Chris in one of the chairs. As they talked, I took off my shoes, curling up on the couch next to Sebastian. My fingers intertwined with his and I leaned my head against his shoulder, “I love you.”

“I love you too, baby girl.”

Scarlett looked over, “Daisy!” She stood and walked over, leaning to give me a hug, “It’s so good to meet you in person, finally. Robert and I have been talking about that story you told us at Halloween.” She sat down next to me, bouncing excitedly, “Do you have any others? Seb wouldn’t tell us your screen name, or what website you post your stories on so I couldn’t read them.”

“Oh God,” I buried my face into my boyfriend’s arm, trying to hide my embarrassment. When I looked up, I felt a little better, “It’s because he doesn’t know. He’s tried to get that information from me, but I won’t tell him. The things I write…” I didn’t want to tell her, but I couldn’t see a way around it, “Fanfiction is basically fantasy. So, I take a world that’s already been created and write stories around what I’d like to see. For example, after seeing Endgame, I wrote a 147,000 word story to correct what happened.”

“Is that a lot?”

“Well, most adult novels are around 100,000 words.”

“Damn,” she looked impressed. “How long did it take you?”

“Well, I was pretty motivated. I finished it in about a month and a half. However, I didn’t really edit for anything other than grammar mistakes, so…”

“Wait,” Robert said from the other couch. “You wrote what amounts to a novel and a half in less than two months.” He seemed delighted by that, “When are you moving out here so I can introduce you to people I know? Seriously, Daisy, you would do well in the business.”

“I haven’t… uh…”

Sebastian interrupted, “We’re not discussing that right now. Let’s just enjoy the night.”

“You have to give me the information about where you post so I can read them.” Scarlett drew my attention back to her, “Pretty please.”

Sighing, I couldn’t help but smile, “Are you sure? When I said they were fantasies, I meant it.” I leaned close and whispered, “There’s quite a bit of romance and sex involved in them.”

“Even better.” She handed me her phone and I put in the website, finding my username for her. “Damn girl, you’ve written a lot.”

“Well, I have no life other than work and talking to Seb. So…”

“I can’t wait to read these. Give me your number so I can tell you what I think.” We exchanged numbers and she went back to the couch with Robert.

The next few hours flew by quickly. Susan, Robert’s wife, had made dinner. We sat around, everyone talking and laughing, telling stories from filming. For the most part, they included me in the conversation, or at least they tried to. But I just sat there, listening to the bonds this group of people had developed over so many movies. It really made me wish that I could have been there for it, to have the same level of friendship with them.

After dinner, we migrated into the living room. Talk turned to families and new movies, and I cuddled against Sebastian, closing my eyes. The past few days had been kind of stressful, so I was exhausted. I ended up falling asleep.

I woke with my head on his lap, fingers combing through my hair. I looked up and everyone was gone except for Robert who was talking with Sebastian. Sitting up, I yawned, “Sorry for falling asleep on you guys.”

“It’s okay, baby girl,” Sebastian said. “Do you want to leave?”

“You can’t leave yet, I want to talk to her about her stories first,” Robert said.

“Really?” I raised an eyebrow, “You want to hear more about my stories?”

“Well, yeah,” he chuckled. “The one at Halloween was well done, but I want to hear you talk about your stories. I can tell how passionate someone is about something based on the way they talk about it.”

Sebastian kissed my head, “We can stay, if you want to.”

“Just for a little bit,” I looked at the clock. “It’s getting kind of late.”

“Nonsense, you guys can stay in the guest bedroom tonight. Everyone else is gone, so it’s all yours.” Robert patted the seat next to him, “Now, get over here and tell me about your stories.”

I climbed off the couch and went over to Robert, “What do you want to hear about?”

“Tell me about your favorite one.”

“That’s hard. That would be like asking for a parent’s favorite child.”

“But every parent has one, even if they won’t say,” Robert chuckled. “Come on, I know you have your favorite.”

“How about this, I’ll tell you about one of my works in progress.” I sat back, drawing my legs up under myself, “It’s a working title, but it’s called Out of Time. It’s about a girl named Emma Clarkson. One night, she’s at the Stark Expo, where he’s going to be debuting a flying car.”

“So these stories, do you always model them after the movies?” he didn’t seem snarky or rude, just curious.

“Sometimes, other times the stories just have the characters and it’s and AU. That’s an alternate universe.” I smiled, “This one, it’s about Emma who ends up in a situation very similar to Bucky. At the expo, she meets Bucky and they share a night together. After she gets kicked out of the house she was living in, she pretends to be a guy and joins the army.”

“How…?”

“She got Dr. Erskine, the same doctor who signed off on Steve. She ends up at basic with Steve and they form a friendship. At this point, she’s going by Eric. After Steve is sent to the special program to turn him into a super soldier, she gets recruited for a unit of soldiers that sneak into enemy lines. They kill with only a knife, and she quickly worked her way up to being in charge of the unit.”

“She killed with a knife,” Sebastian piped up. I looked over, having forgotten he was there. “That seems a little violent for a woman.”

I shrugged, “She has to live in a man’s world, pretending to be one of them. She’s an orphan, forced to make a choice that altered her destiny. It was kill or be killed, and she chose to survive.”

“What happens next?” Robert said.

“Steve shows up for the USO show, then finds out that Bucky has been captured and is behind enemy lines. Since she knew Steve, she refused to let him go on his own, saying that Eric and Bucky were friends. Once they rescued him, Bucky was confused because he felt like he knew the man standing in front of him. They have an interesting relationship, one fraught with confused feelings and attraction.” I looked over at Sebastian, who seemed as interested in the story as Robert, “I mean, they were attracted to each other as Emma and Bucky. So when Bucky meets her as Eric, he ends up being attracted to Eric.”

“Do they…?” Robert waggled his eyebrows.

“No,” I laughed. “Bucky falls off the train, and during the mission to get Steve, Emma is captured and put into the cell with Bucky. Eventually, he finds out who she really is. They end up both being turned into super soldiers to work for HYDRA.”

“So basically, you’ve just inserted a new character?”

“Not exactly.” I took a second, “I mean, yes, but there is more to the story. Bucky and Emma fall in love, even though they are both brainwashed. They spend time together before being put in cryo, and even when they are on missions, love somehow sneaks through.” I sighed and smiled, love stories always made me happy, “Over time, they end up married and she gets pregnant. She’s not very far along when Tony develops the way to go back in time to get the stones. On the battlefield, Bucky is so nervous for her and their child's safety, that he gets Dr. Strange to send her away.”

“I’m guessing this is where it differs from the movies?”

“You would be correct.” I laughed, “She ends up our reality while Chris and Seb are filming the second Captain America movie. She thinks that she was sent back to the past, so she ends up jumping off a bridge...”

“Wait, she jumps off a bridge?” Sebastian asked.

“Super soldier, remember? She jumps off the bridge and rushes onto the set, seeing HYDRA agents surrounding who she thought were her friends. After kissing Seb, she realizes that he’s not Bucky. She’s there for a while, and ended up joining the cast in the movie, especially after they find out that she kicks more ass than the stunt doubles.” I looked over at Sebastian, trying to tell him how much I loved him with my eyes, “She gets stuck there for almost an entire year, giving birth and becoming really good friends with Sebastian.”

“If it weren’t for the fact that she loved Bucky with her whole heart, she probably would have loved Sebastian. Eventually, Dr. Strange finds her and comes through a portal with Bucky to take her home.” I rubbed my eyes, trying to hide the tears before they fell. As much as I like happy endings, this one was only happy in the fact that Bucky got his girl back, “When they get back, so many people are gone. But Steve and Natasha are still happily married with their children, and Bucky has a kid. So they end up living happily ever after.”

“That actually sounds like an interesting story.” Robert patted my arm, “But you don’t seem as passionate about it as you did with the one at Halloween.”

“I don’t?” I was truly confused, not understanding why he wouldn’t think I was passionate about it.

“I mean, I can tell you love the story, but I want to see your face light up when you talk about something. This one,” he shrugged. “Tell me about another.”

I thought about what I could tell him about, then my smile grew as I thought of the story I had yet to write, but couldn’t stop thinking about. “The title for this one is Imaginarium. It takes place about 200 years after Endgame, and Claudia works for Stark Industries. She actually invented Imaginarium, which is a virtual reality simulator. It’s kind of like Total Recall. It puts you into the part of a character in a book or movie. You can’t interact, but you get to live out the stories.”

Robert was smiling, so I continued, “She’s working on the next iteration, a way to actually manipulate the story. Using pieces from the time machine…”

“She uses pieces from a 200-year-old device?” Robert sounded shocked, “I would have thought they wouldn’t be good after all that time.”

“It was sophisticated technology for its time. But she doesn’t take a lot, just a few parts.” I closed my eyes and leaned back against the couch cushion, imagining the world I was talking about, “She grew up hearing stories about the Avengers, but mainly Steve and Bucky. Her mother had found their dog tags in a pawn shop and…”

“Does she go back in time?” Sebastian asked.

I looked over at him and smiled, “Hold your horses, baby. Let me tell it my way.” Closing my eyes again, I continued, “Her mother found their dog tags, so she wanted to learn everything she could. Claudia actually found Bucky’s journals, and from those, and the book that Morgan published, that was the world she wanted to visit. So she starts entering the digital world, able to manipulate what happens.”

Opening my eyes, I saw Robert looking at me intently, “You are definitely more into this story.”

I flushed, “Well, there’s not much plot to this one. It’s actually what the website calls PWP.” At Robert’s raised eyebrows, I flushed brighter, “Porn without plot.”

Both men started laughing loudly. It took them several minutes before they were able to talk again. Robert said, “Well, now I’m even more intrigued. Please continue.”

“Well, as it’s a digital world, the first time she shows up it’s in Steve’s body, in Bucky’s apartment in Bucharest. Bucky realizes it’s her and tells her to come back as herself.”

“Wait, if it’s a digital world, how does he realize it’s her?” Sebastian asked.

“I’ve figured it out,” Robert said, eyes twinkling. “But I’m not going to spoil it for you. Please, continue.”

“She ends up sleeping with both of them. Then, while she is trying to see if her machine works, she ends up sleeping with Natasha, Tony, Thor, Bruce and Hulk, Clint, Wanda, and Valkyrie. Not at the same time, but during different jumps.” I held up my hand to ward off any questions, “I’m not going into the dirty details, just remember, it’s a digital world to her. The last thing she wants to see before telling her boss it’s ready is Tony’s funeral. When she shows up, the others recognize her and they end up talking about it for quite a while. Bucky convinces her to stay and see Steve off to return the stones. She expects him to return as old Steve, but when he comes back on the platform and kisses Bucky, she’s confused.”

“Steve kisses Bucky?”

“Yeah, I basically made it a threesome romance. Because Steve and Bucky have this connection, and with the help of Claudia, they realize that they love each other.” I paused, once again looking at the man I loved, “Love doesn’t know boundaries. It doesn’t stop just because it may not be what other people want.”

“Sorry,” Robert said, “I have no problem with it, I was just curious.”

“No worries.” I gave him a soft smile, “When Steve comes back, Claudia is confused. She doesn’t understand why he didn’t stay with Peggy, because that’s what happened in her history. Bucky tells her it’s all real. Everything that happened, is real. She leaves quickly, confused because it’s just a program, it can’t be real. But when she goes back, she sees the journals and notices that there are differences. Then she sees Steve’s compass, which I forgot to tell you she had, and inside is a picture of her and Bucky instead of Peggy. She had been going back in time, changing the future with every jump back.”

“I knew it,” Robert exclaimed.

I laughed, “She ends up planting charges, timing them to destroy the machine so no one else can go back. She goes back to the battle of Wakanda and helps defeat Thanos before…”

“How does she do that?”

“Well, I haven’t actually written it yet, so I don’t know.” I smiled, my heart happy that this one had a happy ending, “Basically, they stop Thanos from snapping, and she gets to live happily ever after with Bucky and Steve.”

“That’s what I was looking for, passion,” Robert squeezed my arm and then yawned. “Seriously, when you do move here, call me. I can help you get a job in scriptwriting if that’s what you want to do. Now, I’m going to bed. Sebastian knows where the guest room is.”

After Robert left, Sebastian pulled me to my feet and down the hall to a small room. It had a huge bed and we got undressed, climbing under the covers. I cuddled up against him and he rubbed my back, “Do you know how much I love you?”

“At least half as much as I love you,” I said cheekily.

“Watching you talk about writing, I can tell how much you love it.” He continued rubbing my back, “Why don’t you write? You are obviously very passionate about it.”

“I can’t make money as a writer.” I sighed and curled up closer to him, “I have to be able to pay my bills. And be a starving artist doesn’t sound like fun.”

“I understand.” And I knew he did, because there was a time when he didn’t know if he was going to have enough money to pay his rent, then another check would come in from Hot Tub Time Machine, “When do you have to go home?”

“Well, my ticket has me going home on December 29th.”

“Can you stay for New Years?” When I didn’t answer right away, he said, “I want to kiss you at midnight. Have you be my last kiss of the year, and the first of 2020. Please say you’ll stay? I’ll pay for the change in flight. I just really want you to stay for a few more days before I have to say goodbye again.”

“I’ll stay,” I pushed myself up and kissed him gently. “I love you, Sebastian Stan. I would do anything for you.”


	15. New Year's Eve

December 31 

The crowd in Times Square pressed in on us, making me anxious. But Sebastian just held onto me tightly as we tried to make our way to where Chris and Mackie were going to meet us. There were so many people, not a single one of them paying attention to either of us. It was a good thing that the large crowd granted some anonymity because I couldn’t imagine what it would be like if Sebastian were to be recognized in this crowd.

People were everywhere, making our transit difficult. It was all I could do to not panic. Being surrounded by this many bodies was not my idea of a good time. If I were being painfully honest, I hate crowds. They make me anxious. But both Mackie and Chris had decided to stay through the New Year, and Sebastian wanted to spend some time with them, as well as me. So I had acquiesced, saying that it would be fun.

After probably a good thirty minutes of shoving through the crowd, we made it to where the boys were. First Mackie pulled me into a hug, then Chris did. He whispered into my ear, “Are you okay?

“I just don’t like crowds.”

Chris maneuvered the others around me, separating me from the crowd. Sebastian gave him a curious glance and he whispered something to him. Sebastian frowned, “Baby girl, we could have stayed in.”

“No.” I wrapped my arms around him, enjoying his warmth, “I want to see them before I go home, and I want to spend time with you. I don’t want you to have to give up your night out just because I don’t like people touching me.”

“Oh,” his hands slipped down to my ass. “You don’t like people touching you?”

Standing on my toes, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him, slow and languidly. I heard the boys laughing, but still, I kept kissing him, trying to put every ounce of my love into it. When I pulled back, I was still on my toes so I could look him square in the eyes, “I love it when you touch me, Mr. Stan.” Leaning forward, I whispered in his ear, “And I don’t mind when Chris does either.”

He lowered me to the ground, laughing, “Well, the ball is going to drop in less than an hour, then we’ll leave.”

We stood there, his arms wrapped around me from behind as we watched the show being broadcast on the big screen. The boys talked and joked, but stood in such a way that the only people who ever got close to me were them. I spent most of the hour with my eyes closed, just enjoying the sensation of being held by the man I loved.

I must have dozed off because Sebastian turned me around and I shrieked a little bit in surprise. He laughed, “We’ve got less than thirty seconds, baby girl. Do you have a New Year's resolution?”

“Nope,” I shook my head. “My only resolution is to love you. Do you?”

“If you count convincing you to marry me.”

I smacked him in the chest, “It won’t take much convincing. But it’s still too soon.”

“I know, baby girl.”

The people all around us started yelling, “Ten. Nine. Eight.”

Sebastian lowered his head, “I love you, Daisy.”

“Six. Five.”

“I love you too, Sebastian.”

“Three.”

He started kissing me, deep and thorough. “Two.” Pulling me closer, he let me feel his burgeoning erection, grasping my ass to lift me up to him. “One. Happy New Year!” Confetti fell all around us as he kept kissing me for several seconds as everyone cheered.

When he let me go, I pulled him down for one last hard kiss. Then I turned to Mackie and Chris, “Well, since you boys have no one to kiss for New Years.” I walked over to Mackie first. 

He dipped me backward and placed a loud smack on my lips. Lifting me up, he said into my ear, “You are really good for Seb, Daisy. Thank you for loving my friend.” Letting me go, he said, “I’m going out drinking, then back to my hotel. I’ll see you guys later.”

After he was gone, I went over to Chris. My hand reached up and caressed the side of his face, enjoying the feeling of his thick, soft beard. Threading my hand into his hair, I pulled his head down, kissing him softly. There wasn’t any tongue, but I lingered for a few seconds. Going back to Sebastian, I kissed him again, “I love you.”

Chris cleared his throat, and I looked over. He looked at us with such longing my heart hurt. I knew it wasn’t longing for us, but longing for what we had. I turned back to Sebastian and said soft enough that Chris wouldn’t hear, “Is he okay?”

“He’s fine, baby girl. The holidays are just hard when you are single.” He looked over at Chris, “You want to come hang out at the condo for a bit before going back to your hotel? I’m not exactly tired, and at least that way, you won’t have to worry about being out in the crowd.”

Chris looked at me, then at Sebastian. Finally, he nodded, “That sounds nice.”

It took about an hour to get back to Sebastian’s condo, but once we pushed open the door I felt immensely better. We took off our coats and sat on the couch, Chris on one of the chairs. They started talking about work and I just zoned out. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to talk about that stuff, just Sebastian kept rubbing my thigh, inching closer to my aching pussy with every stroke.

I could feel Chris’s eyes on me and I looked over. Even from a few feet away I could tell that his pupils were blown out and he had a hardon. He kept shifting in his seat, trying to hide the fact. Spreading my legs, I gave Sebastian more access, allowing him to rub the juncture between my thighs. 

The talking ceased, the only sound in the room being our breathing as it grew more ragged. Sebastian pulled one of my legs over his thigh, spreading me even wider. Every stroke brought me closer to the edge, but through the fabric of my leggings, I couldn’t get enough contact to come. My eyes found Chris again, and by now, he wasn’t even bothering to hide how turned on he was. His hands were on the chair arms, digging into the fabric.

Sebastian whispered into my ear, “How would feel about a repeat performance of Thanksgiving?” I looked over at him, confused. He smiled, “It’s up to you, but I know that spending the night with my two best friends sure sounds like a great way to ring in the New Year to me.” I thought about it for a second, then nodded, “Go to him, baby girl.”

Slowly, I stood and walked over to him. I couldn’t even try to be sultry about it. My body felt disconnected from my brain, almost like it was floating. Every inch of my skin was so sensitive, I knew it wouldn’t take long before I came. Moving closer to Chris, I leaned over, my hands caressing his forearms. My head moved closer and I placed my lips on his. My intention was to let him deepen the kiss.

When he didn’t, I pulled back confused. Chris had a frown on his face, “Daisy, I want you, but this isn’t a good idea.” I frowned and he sighed, “It’s been so long since I’ve had a relationship where I can be open with someone, I’m just worried that if we do this, I won’t be able to stop myself from feeling more for you than I should.”

Sebastian got up from the couch and came over, laying a hand on my back. He looked down at his best friend, “Chris, I trust you, implicitly. I want to spend the New Year with the two people I care most about. We don’t have to do this if it makes you uncomfortable, but I’m not worried about anything.” He sighed, “Don’t overthink it.”

Pulling me back, he grabbed my hand and started pulling me to the bedroom, “Come join us, Chris. But if you don’t want to, you can stay in the guest room if you don't want to try and make it back to the hotel.”

He didn’t even wait for a reply, just took me into the master, leaving the door open in case Chris decided to join. He started taking off my clothes until I stood there, bare before him. Taking off his clothes as well, he pushed me backward until my legs hit the bed and I fell backward. He pressed on my chest, indicating that I should lie back.

When he knelt on the ground and pulled my hips forward, I felt myself clench with need. I knew what was coming. Spreading my legs, he kissed the insides of my thighs, skipping over the juncture between them. I moaned, moving my hips, trying to get his mouth to move toward the aching need I felt.

The bed dipped and I looked over, seeing Chris sitting there, looking down at me. He still wore his jeans but had taken off his shirt. Leaning down, he kissed me, hard and thoroughly, one hand sneaking down to my breast, calloused thumb scraping over my nipple.

I sighed against his mouth, enjoying the feeling of being between two attractive men. As soon as Sebastian's tongue hit my clit, I gasped, back arching off the bed. Chris backed away and climbed further onto the bed, scooting so he was sitting up and put my head on his lap. I could feel his hard cock through his jeans, and I moved my hands up so I could stroke him.

He groaned and grabbed both my hands, pulling them behind his back, “Not yet, Daisy. Keep them there like a good girl, and we’ll let you come.”

Sebastian looked up at me, eyes full of lust, “What do you think, Chris? Should I continue down here, or do you want a turn?”

My hips writhed, aching to find something to soothe the fever burning in my belly. “Please,” I whined. “God, let me come. I need to come.”

Chris chuckled, moving his hands to my chest. The calloused skin felt glorious against my skin, and when his fingers found my nipples and he rolled them between his index finger and thumb, I moaned. My eyes met his, drowning in the desire I saw reflected back at me. "Don't worry, I'll get my turn. Why don't you let her come? Help her take the edge off?"

Sebastian's mouth attached back onto my clit, sucking and nibbling, while Chris's hands continued their manipulation of my nipples. When Sebastian inserted two fingers into me, curling to hit my sweet spot, my back arched and I felt my desire grow, burning up inside me.

Chris looked down at me, "That's it, sweetheart. Let it go." He pinched my nipples, twisting them slightly. The pain sent a shock through my body, making me moan and press my hips harder against my lover's mouth. Chris chuckled, "Oh, you liked that, did you?"

When he did it again, Sebastian sucked my clit hard and I came, my entire body shaking with the force of my orgasm. He released me and stroked my legs softly while I shook, murmuring words I couldn't comprehend. When his touch disappeared, I whined, wanting him back. Then Chris disappeared too, and I opened my eyes to see them both looking down at me.

"Ladies choice, baby girl," Sebastian said as he grinned. "Chris really wants to have a chance to taste you, but we're leaving the decision on what happens tonight up to you."

Pushing myself up shakily, I stood and walked over to the men. The first thing I did was pull my lover down for a hard kiss, enjoying the taste of myself on his tongue. Then I turned to Chris. Sinking my hands into his hair, I smiled. To be honest, if it wasn't for the fact that I loved Sebastian, I would be hard-pressed to choose between these two men. They were both perfect, just in different ways.

Bringing his head down to mine, I kissed him, gently at first. But when he groaned and pulled me closer, the kiss turned rough. It was almost as if he were trying to memorize how I felt because he knew it would never happen again. When I pulled back, I said, "Chris, take off your pants and lie on the bed."

His lower lip stuck out in a pout, "I wanted to taste you."

Pressing a kiss to his lips, I chuckled, "And you will. Now lie down." He quickly shucked off his pants and laid on his back, hard cock resting against his belly. I turned to Sebastian, "I want to suck you while he makes me come again."

"Anything for my baby girl."

I straddled Chris's shoulders letting him lift me over his face. His tongue scraped along my slit and I moaned. When it hit my clit, it took all my willpower to not start humping his face.

Sebastian climbed into the bed, kneeling next to me so I could lean over and take him into my mouth. The second I did, Chris bit down lightly on my clit, sending shockwaves of pain and pleasure through my body, making me moan. Sebastian's hands tangled in my hair, "Fucking hell, Chris. Whatever you did, do it again."

Chris alternated between sucking my clit and licking as my lover fucked my mouth. When he bit down again, slightly harder this time, I felt myself clench, orgasm building. I moaned even louder this time and Sebastian pulled out of my mouth, shaking, "Fuck, what are you doing to her?" His eyes met mine, "Tell me baby girl, what's my best friend doing to the woman I love?"

"He's…" Chris started sucking harder as he pulled me down on his face. "Fuck, that mouth of his... So talented," my back arched and I caught myself falling back, but grasped Chris's thighs so I wouldn't fall all the way. "Fuck, I'm so close. Do it again?"

"Words, baby girl. Tell him what you want him to do," Sebastian's hand stroked my chest, running from my neck down to my stomach, over and over.

My eyes found his and I could tell how much he enjoyed watching Chris pleasure me. When I knew I was about to come, I said, "Bite my clit, Chris. Please, God, fucking make me come."

His teeth grazed against the flesh around the sensitive spot and he slowly closed his jaw, biting down, tongue between his teeth still flicking against my clit. I fell apart. Sebastian had to catch me so I didn't fall backward as I screamed with the force of my orgasm. This one seemed to last even longer than the first, my entire body aching by the time they pulled me off Chris's face.

I straddled Chris's hips and fell forward, licking my come off his face while kissing him, "Jesus, where did you learn that?"

He flushed, "There was this girl once… You liked me pinching your… Did you like it?"

"Holy fuck, yes. Not all the time, but that was amazing." I turned my head from where I lay on Chris, "Baby, will you guys fuck me now?"

I felt Sebastian climb into the bed and pull my hips back until I could feel Chris's cock near the entrance to my pussy. My walls fluttered at the thought of him inside me again. I raised enough that I could slip him inside and groaned as he filled me up.

Sebastian's hand pushed me down and I heard the click of the bottle of lube. I couldn't even move, my entire body felt so languid after the first two orgasms. I didn't even notice him inserting fingers until they were gone. He stroked my back, "Are you ready for this, baby girl?"

"Fuck me," I looked over my shoulder at him. "Use me, make me scream. Fuck me hard and fast. Just fuck me."

Sebastian inserted himself in one stroke and I moaned loudly, the sound captures by Chris's lips as he kissed me hard. He had me push up so he could lift my hips as the built up a steady rhythm of pushing in and out of me. While there are no drawbacks to fucking men who looked like Greek gods, a positive is the pure strength they possess. Having someone who can just hold you in the air while they fuck you is a bigger turn-on than I thought possible.

They built up speed until they were both fucking me, hard and fast as I had asked for. Even after two orgasms, I felt another beginning to form. Sebastian pulled me up to him, his front against my back as he continued to fuck me. One hand around throat, pressing just enough to make me moan. He whispered in my ear, "Are you going to come on our cocks? Do you like having two cocks fill you at once, baby girl? Fuck you look so hot fucking Chris's cock like a good little girl."

His other hand slipped down between my legs and touched my clit and I screamed, coming loudly. My pussy and ass clenched down on their cocks, and they managed a few more strokes before coming inside of me.

We all fell forward, spent. I couldn't even move, my entire body was so exhausted after that much activity. I felt Sebastian leave the bed and come back with a damp washcloth to clean me up. Chris moved me to the side and got off the bed, placing me so that Sebastian could climb into bed next to me.

They said something to one another and Sebastian pulled me against him. Chris leaned over, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips. His eyes looked sad, "I'll see you in the morning, Daisy."

I grabbed him and pulled him down for a big so I could whisper in his ear, "You'll find love, Chris. You're an amazing guy, I know you'll find the perfect woman for you."

He looked a little less sad when he pulled back, "Goodnight."

Once he was gone, I looked at Sebastian, my heart aching with how much I felt for him, "I love you so fucking much, baby."

"I love you too," he kissed my forehead. "Happy New year, baby girl."


	16. Be My Valentine?

February 14

_ SEBASTIAN: I wanted to surprise you, but figured it was better to give you a heads up. Didn’t want a repeat of Thanksgiving. I'm flying in to take you out to dinner for Valentine's day. Don't have a hotel yet, but we'll figure that out when I get there. _

_ ME: You just made me squeal at work!! This is the best surprise. And you don’t have to worry about a repeat of Thanksgiving. I was just confused back then. Now that I know you love me, seeing you makes me happy. Even if it is a surprise. _

_ ME: When do you land? I can pick you up. _

_ SEBASTIAN: That's not necessary, baby girl. I can get a rental car. _

_ SEBASTIAN: I land at 4, I was going to come straight to your house so we could get something to eat. _

_ ME: Unless you really want your own car, let me pick you up. You don't need to spend money on a car when I have a perfectly good one here.  _ _ You can even drive it. _

_ SEBASTIAN: Fine, you win. ;) I have a checked bag, just FYI. Also, I love you. _

_ ME: I love you too, baby. See you soon. _

At 3:45 I pulled into the parking lot, finding a spot close to the exit. I couldn't wait to see Sebastian. It had been six weeks, and FaceTime just wasn't the same. At least the iPhone allowed me to see his animated face when he talked, but not being able to touch him, to cuddle up next to him, was killing me. I practically bounced with anticipation as I walked toward the baggage claim.

Sebastian's flight was on time, so I only had a little while to wait for him to show up. My foot tapped on the floor as I watched the clock. Time seemed to move so slowly, each tick of the second hand taking an eternity. When I couldn't stand it anymore, I took out my phone, scrolling through all the pictures of Sebastian and me that I had taken over Christmas, smiling to myself.

A voice yelled, "Daisy!"

I looked and saw Sebastian, a huge grin on his face. I didn't even notice the other people, I just ran toward him, jumping into his embrace as he laughed and twirled me around. Putting me on my feet, he tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and kissed me softly, "God, I missed you." He kissed me again, deeper this time, "I hate that I can't see you every day."

"Me too," I dragged him over to the conveyor belt. "But no talking about that right now. Right now, let’s just enjoy the fact that we get to be here with each other."

We stood there quietly, waiting for his bags to come. I leaned against him, my arms wrapped around his waist, face pressed to his chest. Since we announced our love on Instagram, I didn't care if anyone saw us. In fact, if people saw us and posted it online, that would stop the gossip magazines from saying he was cheating on me since we didn't live together. The only real downside to dating someone famous, the tabloids that would try to stir up trouble between us.

My Instagram account had grown exponentially after his post proclaiming his love for me. So much so, that I ended up becoming verified just because of it. I posted a new pic of Sebastian every day, after asking him if it was okay first. He never cared, as long as he was clothed in them. Not that I wanted to share his body with anyone else. It was mine to look at, not theirs.

He kissed my forehead, "My bags are here." I released him and he came back with a small rolling bag and a large square box that was only a few inches thick.

My eyebrows raised, "What's that?"

"Surprise," he laughed at my pout. "I'm not telling you, no matter how much you stick that lower lip out. Now, I need to get a hotel, then we can get something to eat. I’m starved."

He wouldn't let me help him, so I just walked next to him, "Well, actually… My mom said you can stay with us."

"Baby girl," he groaned. "It's been six weeks, I want to fuck you hard, have you scream on my cock. We can't do that at your parent's house."

"True," I opened the trunk, gesturing for him to put his stuff inside. "But we can still have sex." I closed the trunk and looked at him, "They really want to spend some time with the man I love. Make sure you're good enough for me."

As I laughed, he backed out of the parking spot, following my directions to get out of the airport, "This would be so much easier if they knew who I was."

"Oh God no," I shook my head violently. "If they knew you were famous… Not a good idea. I just want them to know you like I do before we spring that tidbit of information on them. They don’t watch the newest movies, so they won’t have seen you in anything. Plus, if you’re not Tom Cruise, my mom won’t know who you are, even if we tell her."

"Do you really want me to stay at the house? We can get a hotel room," he pulled into my street. "I'm not leaving until tomorrow, so we can spend time with them before my flight leaves."

I twisted in my seat so I could face him better, "Baby, I love you, and if staying at my parents makes you uncomfortable we can stay at a hotel. But… I feel weird about you spending so much money just to visit for one night. That's why I picked you up." I held up a hand to stop his arguments, "I know, we've had this discussion too many times to count. I know that you can afford it, but if you don't have to spend the money, why should you? Besides, the idea of having to bite my pillow to keep from screaming and waking my parents kind of turns me on."

He laughed, "Fine, baby girl. I'll stay."

My parents weren't home from work yet, so I just took him upstairs to my bedroom and we put his bags on the ground. When he sat on my bed, I brought out my phone and took a picture. Opening Instagram, I posted the pic, tagging him.  _ Best surprise ever. Happy Valentine's Day to the love of my life. _

He looked at me, "What did you do, baby girl?"

"Check your Instagram."

He opened his phone, laughing when he saw the picture. My phone dinged and I opened that app again, seeing I had a comment from him.  _ Maybe someone can convince this girl to marry me. I’m having a tough time of it. I love you more than words can describe, Daisy. You have my heart and soul, now and forever. _

I watched my phone to see what his comment was and laughed loudly, “Really? Now I’m going to get thousands of messages telling me what a good guy you are. You know I’ll marry you, Seb. Just not yet. We’ve only been dating for a few months.”

“I know, but I’ve known I loved you for longer than that.” He crooked his finger at me, “Now come here so you can welcome me properly.” My eyes met his and it was like time stood still. Heart beating faster, I walked over to him and kissed him, sweet and slow. He flipped me onto the bed, causing me to shriek. Hand sneaking between my legs to find my clit, his voice came out husky as I squirmed beneath him, "We've got a little time. Let's make the most of the empty house."

After dinner, Sebastian and I walked hand in hand back into the house. My dad sat on the couch, watching Good Eats. When we came in, he paused it, "You kids have a good evening?" He stood and shook Sebastian's hand, "We were sorry to have missed you before dinner."

"Yes, sir. The steak place you recommended to Daisy was delicious," Sebastian rubbed my lower back, hand never straying lower.

"Daisy, why don't you head upstairs," my dad said. "I want to talk to your young man for a few minutes, alone."

"Dad, be nice," I admonished. "You better not scare him off."

"Don't worry, sweetheart, I'm not going anywhere." Sebastian kissed my head, "I'll be up in a few minutes."

Upstairs, I took off my dress and underwear, laying on top of the bed. The entire dinner, Sebastian had kept me on edge, running his hand up and down my leg, tracing patterns on my skin. He never went too far beneath my skirt, mindful of the fact that we were out in public and he is a well-known face, but that didn’t matter. Just having him touch me anywhere had me wetter than I had been since Christmas.

I dragged my finger along my wet pussy, rubbing circles around my clit without actually touching it. I wanted him to come into the room and see me lying there, ready and waiting for him. As I played with myself, I heard my dad laugh loudly then Sebastian say something back, laughing in turn. I couldn’t make out what they said, but at least they sounded happy.

Footsteps sounded on the stairs and I knew he was coming up. As he pushed open the door, he seemed a little overwhelmed, but when he saw me, legs spread wide, he paused and grinned, “What are you doing, baby girl? Your parents are still awake.”

I dragged a finger over my clit and moaned, “What did you and my dad talk about?”

“Guy stuff,” he unbuttoned his shirt, slipping it down his shoulders as his eyes watched me. When he unbuckled his pants and slipped them down, he said, “Get off the bed, baby girl.”

I slipped over the edge of the bed, standing far enough away that he couldn’t touch me. As much as I wanted him to put his hands all over my body, I wanted to keep the anticipation up. He reached out and grabbed me, pulling me against his body. Both hands gripped my ass as he looked at me, love in his eyes, “How did I get so lucky?”

Not answering, I grabbed his head, pulling him down for a kiss, moving my hips against his hard cock. He turned me toward the bed, pushing me so I was bent over, forearms on the mattress. He smacked my ass lightly, before stroking his hand down my ass then between my legs and over my pussy. He groaned, “Fuck, I wish we were at a hotel.”

I looked over my shoulder, “Sorry.” I felt bad I made him stay at my parents. But when I tried to lift myself off the bed, he pushed me back down and I moaned when he slid a finger inside of me, “Seb, fuck me, please.”

“I want you to scream for me,” he growled. His fingers slipped out and I felt his cock at my entrance. I tried to push back, but he held me in place, “Don’t you dare move, or I’ll use you to get myself off and leave you wanting.”

It took every ounce of my willpower to hold myself in place, but still, I moaned, “I don’t care, just fuck me.”

He pushed inside me in one thrust, his girth stretching me to my limit. Even though we had sex earlier, he still managed to fill me up enough that it ached just a little when he first entered me. He started moving, slowly, “Too bad your bed squeaks.” I laughed and he smacked my ass a little harder, forcing me to put my face into the bed to stop the loud moan that escaped. He thrust in hard, pulled out, then did the same again. Each time he did, he hit that spot deep inside that made me throb with need.

My hands gripped the blanket tight, the fabric bunched in my fingers. He kept that pace, hard deep thrust followed by a slow pull-out until I was panting with need. My insides were throbbing, the buildup intense. I thrust back once and he stopped moving, so I turned, “Please, baby, fuck me. Make me come on your cock. Show me who I belong to.” I bit my lip when he thrust in again, “For the love of all that’s holy, fuck me.” The last words were practically growled out and he held my hips hard, fingers digging into my flesh.

“If my baby girl wants a fucking, I’ll give her one.” He started pounding in and out, bottoming out on each stroke so it hit that spot, over and over again. I could feel the orgasm building and knew that I would scream with the force of it. One of his hands went to my back, trailing up to my hair. Grasping the strands, he pulled my head back and I moaned loudly knowing I was close. He chuckled deeply, his voice deeper than normal, “Cover your mouth, baby girl, don’t want your parents to hear.”

My hand went over my mouth, but I could still hear my moans through it. Instead, I put my hand into my mouth, stifling the sounds. Sebastian pulled on my hair harder, lifting me up so he could move his hand to my throat. I wasn’t touching the bed anymore, and I felt my orgasm just below the surface. I reached between my legs and touched my clit and came, biting my hand hard as I screamed, falling back against Sebastian’s body. He held up my against him, fucking me through my orgasm.

When he leaned forward, pressing his lips against my shoulder as he fucked me, I pulled my aching hand out of my mouth. My voice sounded rough, “Come for me, baby. God, you feel so good inside me. I want to feel you come.”

He groaned and bit my shoulder as his hips moved faster, I came again, having to shove my hand back into my mouth. His hips stuttered and he thrust in one more time, coming hard. We fell forward onto my bed, Sebastian laying against my back. He pulled out of me, leaving me lying there while he went to get a washcloth to clean me up.

I couldn’t move, my body felt like jello. Sebastian placed a kiss on my shoulder, “Fuck, I’m sorry, baby girl. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

I turned my head, “What are you talking about?”

“The bite mark on your shoulder.”

“I don’t even feel it.” I chuckled, “To be honest, I can’t even feel my toes right now.”

Sebastian lifted me up easily, putting me on the bed. He sat me up against the headboard and went over to the box he had brought with him. He held it up, “Do you want me to open it for you?”

“Wait, that’s for me?” I looked at the box in shock. It wasn’t small, almost three feet in each direction.

Sebastian just laughed and opened the box, bringing out a large, round metal object. All I could see was the back, where two straps were on each side. He held it in his hands, looking nervous, but gorgeous standing there naked with this round object. “So, I’ve been working on this since…” His face turned red, “Well, since before my birthday. I wanted to make sure I got everyone to sign it before I gave it to you.”

He turned the object around and I saw it was a replica Captain America shield, covered in black signatures. I climbed out of the bed, even though my legs were still unsteady and went over to him, taking the shield out of his hands. I placed it on the ground and pulled him into my arms, placing a soft kiss on his lips. “You know, there is only one thing better than this gift.”

“Really?” He backed me up to the bed and we climbed under the covers. As I laid my head on his shoulder, he said, “What is that one thing?”

“You.” I chuckled at his shocked expression, “I love the shield. It’s a fangirl’s dream come true. But, Sebastian, I don’t need things.” Pushing myself up, I looked down into his eyes, “All I need is you. Now and forever. Trust me, I’m never letting you go.”

“You sure it’s too soon to talk marriage?”

“You know what, how about this…” I kissed the tip of his nose, “It’s too early right this second. But if you think about it, and I mean, truly think about it before asking, I will say yes. Because I love you and I can’t imagine my life without you.”


	17. Jimmy Kimmel

March 13 

“When are you going to move here, Daisy?” Sebastian sounded exasperated. We weren’t on FaceTime because we were having the same argument we’d been having since Christmas. If we could see one another, this conversation wouldn’t happen because I just couldn’t say no to him.

“Seb, I’m trying to find a job,” and I had been. For three months, I’d been searching constantly, trying to find something that would at least pay me a semi-decent wage. “No one is hiring right now.”

“I love you, but God, you make me so…” he let out an irritated breath. “I can afford to take care of you. Let me. Let me support you until you can find a job. I love you.”

“I love you too, but I can’t let you do that.”

“Jesus,” I could picture him pacing, his hair poofy after running his fingers through it, over and over. “I’m worth millions, baby girl. I don’t need you to pay for things. All I need for you to do is move here so I can hold you in my arms every night.”

“Sebastian,” I was trying to keep my voice calm, but I knew I was failing at it. “I have debt, you know this. I can’t let you take that on. It’s mine to…”

“That’s what people in relationships do. They take the good with the bad. I just want you here.”

“And I want to be there, but…”

“No buts. Just move out here. Let me take care of you. If you insist on finding a job, you can do that once you are here,” his voice had turned pleading. “Please.”

“I can’t,” tears rolled down my cheeks. “I can’t be with you for your money, Seb. Don’t you understand?”

“No, I don’t.” He sounded angry, “I’m not asking you to take money from me, just let me help you until you get your feet under you. You’re going to live with me anyway.”

“Am I?” I hissed. “Right now, I’m not even sure I want to…” I stopped before finishing that sentence. First, because it would have been a lie. Second, because I didn’t want to hurt him like that. “I gotta go,” I hung up the phone and flung a hand over my arm.

After a few seconds, I realized what I had done. My promise to him, never to run away when I was scared, that was exactly what I was doing. Running. I dialed him back up, hoping he would answer. He did, but didn’t say anything, “I’m sorry, Seb.”

“Fuck,” he let out a sigh. “How long are we going to keep doing this? Keep arguing about the same thing?”

“I want to move in with you. But we’re not even engaged yet. Just… let me keep looking for a job for a little while longer.” I could feel tears threatening to spill again, but I held them in so he wouldn’t hear the tremors in my voice, “This is important to me. I need to feel independent. I can’t… no, I won’t be a kept woman.”

“Do you really feel that way?” his voice broke, sounding hurt. “Do you really think I would think you were just using me for my money?”

“No,” I said quickly, trying to reassure him. “Not at all. But Seb, money is the number one relationship killer. Just because you’re okay with it now, doesn’t mean you will be in six months when you’re paying my debt and I still can’t find a job.”

He took several deep breaths before responding, “Alright, I may not agree with you, but I know I won’t win this argument.” He paused again, “You do know that I love you, right? That all I want is for you to be happy?”

This time, I couldn’t stop the tears from falling, “I know. I love you too. And you make me happy, I just… I can’t… I want everything with you, Seb. I want the rest of my life with you, I only want it to start off right. I’m scared that if I let you pay for everything, you’ll come to resent me, or that I’ll resent myself.”

“Baby girl,” he whispered.

My voice wavered, “I love you, Sebastian. I just…”

“I won’t ask again, not for a while, okay?” Even though he couldn’t see, I nodded, “But I need you to think about moving here. I love you, Daisy Price, and I want my entire life with you. And I want that eternity to start as soon as possible. Can you do that for me?” I nodded again and he chuckled, “Words, baby girl. I need your words.”

“I promise, I will.” I took a breath, trying to steady my nerves, “I’m sorry I can’t be more…”

“No, baby girl, don’t be sorry,” he interrupted. “We have the rest of our lives ahead of us. There is plenty of time.”

April 13 

My phone rang and I looked at the caller ID. When I saw it was Chris, I felt flummoxed. We weren’t quite close enough for phone calls, that felt too intimate, even after everything we had shared. I answered, “Hey, Chris, what’s up?”

“So, Seb would kill me if I told you this, so you can’t tell him you found out from me,” he sounded extremely nervous. Almost as if he were actually worried about what Sebastian would think.

“I promise, I won’t tell him you told me.” I started to get scared, wondering what he could possibly have to tell me, “What’s wrong?”

He let out a breath, “Nothing’s wrong. It’s just… Seb is going to be on Jimmy Kimmel live tomorrow and…”

“He is? He didn’t tell me about it.”

“You know Seb, he would never want you to feel forced to watch him parade around, answering questions about his job.” He didn’t sound quite like he believed what he was saying, “I need you to promise me that you’ll watch. He’s planning on… Fuck, I can’t tell you. Seb would kill me, and I mean, literally kill me.”

“Alright, I’ll watch.”

“Maybe you could…” He sighed and I could picture him running his fingers through his hair, “Can you catch a flight to New York tomorrow? Being in the audience is a great way to surprise him. I can get you a ticket for the show.”

I started to get nervous, not liking where this was going, “What the hell is going on, Chris? And don’t say you can’t tell me. If you weren’t supposed to tell me, you shouldn’t have called.”

“Look, I really can’t tell you. But suffice to say, he’s going to do something on live television and you need to watch it. Whether it’s at home or in the audience.” He paused, “Now, can you make it out? I can put your name on the list for a ticket, but you’ll have to get there early.”

“Sure, I can be there.”

He sounded relieved, “Great. And before you stress all night, it’s not a super big deal. It’s really just an announcement of sorts, that’s all. I know he would be happy if you were there. You are his biggest fan after all.”

After he said that, my nerves calmed down. A moment of terror had trickled through me, thinking that Sebastian was going to do something about us, but if it was just an announcement, it was probably for a movie or something else. “Thanks, Chris.”

“Anytime.”

April 14 

My plane ended up being delayed, getting me to New York late so I didn’t have a chance to go by Sebastian’s condo and drop off my bag. Instead, I pulled it out of the trunk of the cab and dragged it towards the entrance to the studio where the show was being filmed. Crowds of people blocked the way and I looked at my phone. Filming was going to start any second, and I wasn’t going to be in the audience. Nor was I going to be able to watch the show, which made me want to cry.

I dialed Sebastian. It rang a few times, then a breathless voice said, “Hey, Daisy.”

“Mackie?” I was confused, “Why are you answering Seb’s phone?”

“He left it in the green room.” Mackie chuckled, “You know how he always answers when you call. He just doesn’t want to be interrupted, tonight is a big night for him. Are you watching the show?”

“Um,” I looked at the crowd of people as I tried to shove my way through. “I was supposed to be in the audience tonight.”

“No shit?” He sounded excited, “Seb is going to be so happy you’re here. I should go tell him… Wait, you said you were supposed to be in the audience?”

“My plane was delayed and I’m standing outside. There’s no way I’m going to get in. I bet they’ve already given away my ticket.”

He laughed loudly, “This is even better. Go up to the security guard and hand him your phone.”

I dragged my bag behind me and moved closer to the side entrance where several security guards stood. I flagged one down, “Excuse me, but would you mind…” I held out the phone, “There’s someone who wants to talk to you.”

The guard took the phone and turned away, talking softly. I couldn’t hear what was being said, but he looked over at me, eyes wide. I heard him say, “Yes, Mr. Mackie. I’ll get her up there ASAP.” He handed me the phone and grabbed my bag, “Come on, Ms. Price. Mr. Mackie said I’m to escort you up to the show.”

He led me into the building and we took the elevator up. When we got off, Mackie stood there, a huge grin on his face, “Seabass is already on stage, talking about Endings, Beginnings and how well it’s doing. You’re just in time.” He looked down at my leggings and baggy sweater, “You look a little like you just got off an airplane, but that’s okay.”

He turned me around and took the hair tie off my braid, put his fingers near my scalp and fluffed my hair. Then he dragged me over to a chair, where a frazzled woman stood, “Just give her some lip gloss, we don’t have time for anything else.”

“What are you talking about? I’m just going into the audience.” When Mackie grinned manically, I started to get scared, “What are you planning?”

The lady put the lip gloss on and then another person attached a microphone to me, strapping the battery pack to the back of my pants. Another person wearing a headset and carrying a clipboard rushed over, grabbed my arm and shoved me through a door. Suddenly, I stood on the stage, but no one had noticed me yet.

Jimmy Kimmel sat there, placed a finger on his ear and smiled, “So, Sebastian, do you mind if we change the subject for a minute?”

“Not at all, Jimmy,” I knew he must have smiled because the audience sighed.

“Tell me about Daisy. How did you guys meet? When did you first fall in love?” He gestured to the audience, “Inquiring minds want to know.”

Sebastian leaned back on the couch, placing his arms along the back, getting comfortable. I took a few steps forward and a few people in the audience saw me. I noticed one girl point me out to her friend, but they didn’t say anything.

“Last May, I got a message on Instagram. Now, I know that many fans will be upset to hear this, but I just don’t have time to read them all. And sometimes, I have to clear them out.” He held up a hand, “I know, I know. I wish I could read and respond to all of them, but there just aren’t enough hours in the day. But when I was going to delete Daisy’s, I saw something about a black hole sucking her up and I laughed out loud on the subway. I was having a horrible day, and wanted to tell her that she made it a little brighter.”

“So, she’s not famous?”

“Nope,” he chuckled. “I got lucky with her. We started talking and quickly became friends. You asked when I fell in love with her… It was the night I found out that she wrote Steve and Bucky fanfiction. She actually read me a piece and it was… It was exceptional.”

“Fanfiction?” Jimmy’s eyebrows raised. “Really?”

“Yeah. She has a way with words that not many do.” He leaned forward, looking out at the audience, “The way she wrote about Bucky, it was almost as if she understood him. In my line of work, I run into a lot of writers, but they’re all doing it for the money. She writes for fun, not getting anything in return. I mean, who writes a story that is longer than a novel without expecting anything for it?”

“So you knew then that you loved her?”

“Not exactly. I knew that I felt something deeply, but it wasn’t until my birthday, the first time we FaceTimed that I realized I had been in love with her for a while.” He leaned back and sighed, “We finally met in person at Thanksgiving, and at Christmas, we declared our love to the world.”

“And why do you love her?” Sebastian must have given him a look, because Jimmy added quickly, “Trust me, everyone wants to know.”

He ran fingers through his hair, “She’s gorgeous, but not in the typical Hollywood way. In fact, it took me months to make her realize how beautiful she actually is, especially to me. But that’s not why I love her. To be honest, I don’t care what she looks like. I fell in love with her personality.” The audience made encouraging noises, “She gets so animated when talking about the things that she loves. Aliens, the movie not the Martians, books, writing… She’s passionate, funny, and honest. She’s never once asked me for anything.” Sebastian laughed, “In fact, she yells at me when I spend money on her. She may not be perfect, but she’s the perfect woman for me.”

"So, when are you planning on marrying her?"

"It's funny you ask that, Jimmy." Sebastian chuckled, "She's been telling me it's too soon for months. And she was probably right. We love each other, but getting married after only dating for a couple months is impulsive and rash, no matter how much I wanted to do it." He looked over at Jimmy and I could see the crowd wiping at their eyes, "Actually, on Valentine's Day, I surprised her at home. I asked her father for her hand."

"And?" Jimmy seemed curious, I was too.

Sebastian laughed loudly, "He told me that his daughter wasn't a cow to be bought or sold, that she was her own person and was more than capable of choosing whether or not to marry me." The crowd laughed and I had to put my hand over my mouth to stifle my own laughter, "But he told me that I had his blessing because he knew how much Daisy loved me. And I hope that one day, she'll say yes."

Tears fell down my cheeks, and I moved closer. I think by this time the audience must have realized who I was because they all looked between me and Sebastian, but still didn’t say anything. Jimmy looked at me, “And you, Daisy, when did you know you loved Sebastian?”

Sebastian turned around, saw me and got off the couch. He ran up to me and pulled me into his arms, “Sweetheart, what are you doing here?”

“I wanted to surprise you.” I heard Jimmy say something about a commercial break and the microphones were shut off, “I was supposed to be in the audience, but my plane was delayed.”

His eyes closed and he kissed me softly, “Come on, you should meet Jimmy.”

I wiped my cheeks as we walked over, trying to get rid of the tears. Jimmy stood and offered me his hand, “Sorry, Daisy, but it makes for a good show.”

“No worries.” We sat down on the couch. When the commercial break was over, Jimmy asked me the question again. “I have always kind of loved Sebastian. He’s a genuinely good person, not to mention ridiculously hot. I mean, have you seen his body,” as I fanned my face, the audience laughed, “so it was easy for me to feel like he would make a good friend. I was able to talk to him with ease, which is rare in my life. But once he started talking to me, I quickly realized just how good of a person he actually is.”

I turned my face toward Sebastian, “I fell in love with him a little every day. But I knew that I was in love with him the day after I read him the first story. I thought we had crossed a line and I was terrified that I was going to lose him as a friend. He promised me that no matter what, I would never lose him. That I could never do something so terrible that he wouldn't want to be my friend. At that moment, I knew that I would forever be in love with my best friend. And even if he never felt the same, I would still love him.”

Sebastian climbed off the couch and got down on one knee, “I was going to do this live, hoping that you would be watching the show. But I'm glad that you're here in person because I want to do this right.” He pulled a box out of his pocket and opened it, pulling out a gorgeous diamond ring. Grabbing my left hand, he slid the ring on and said, “Daisy Price, I’ve arrived at that place where I can’t live without you. I want to spend every night with you by my side, and wake up to your grumpy face in the morning. I want you. I want all of you, forever. The good and the bad. I love you, more than anything else in the world. So, Daisy, will you make me the happiest man on the planet and marry me?”

All I could do was nod, unable to form words due to the tears running down my cheeks. He stood and pulled me up, kissing me hard. When we pulled apart, the audience was on their feet, clapping and cheering.

I looked up at him, saying the words that I had been practicing for weeks through phone calls with his mother, “Te iubesc, dragul meu. (I love you, my darling)” His eyes went wide, and I touched his cheek, “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

“When did you…”

“Your mother,” I whispered. “She taught me.”

Jimmy cleared his throat and wiped at his eyes, “Well, damn. I’m pretty sure none of my other shows are going to top this one. Unless you guys want to get married on the show?”

“I think we’ll have to pass on that,” Sebastian said. He looked at the host, “Now, I’m going to take my fiance home.”

Jimmy looked out at the audience as we walked off the stage, “Sebastian Stan and his beautiful fiance Daisy Price.” They clapped, “Don’t worry, I’ll get them back on the show.”

Offstage, Sebastian pulled me against him, holding my head to his chest, “Fuck, baby girl, you don’t know how happy you’ve made me.”

“I have a pretty good idea,” I looked at the ring that must have cost him a fortune. “You said you were lucky to have met me. I think I’m the lucky one.”

“No, you could have had a normal life without me. Gotten married, had your one child, lived a typical life, happy and secure.” He rubbed my back, “Before I met you, I was just floating through life, never really finding what truly made me happy. I was only ever going to find that with you. You are the great love of my life, Daisy. For now, and forever.”

“I wouldn’t have been happy without you. Even if I had never met you, I wouldn’t have been happy.” I looked up at him, “I was just floating through life too. You anchor me, Sebastian. You make me a better person and I can’t wait to call you husband.”


	18. Happily Ever After

May 11

“When are you moving out here?” I could hear the anxiety in Sebastian’s voice. Even though I couldn’t see his face, I knew he was probably frowning, running his fingers through his hair absently. “I’ve been waiting patiently, baby girl, but we’re engaged now. I want you here.”

“I haven’t been able to…”

“Stop using that as an excuse,” he sounded so angry, I almost said yes just to make him happy. “I get that you want to find a job, but we’re engaged. Let me take care of you. If you really want to get a job, you can get one. But come to New York.”

I felt horrible. All I wanted was to move to New York, but letting him pay for everything made me feel worse. “Seb, I’ve been independent ever since graduating high school. If it wasn’t for the fact that I am trying to pay down my debt, there is no way in hell I would be living with my parents.”

“Baby girl…”

“I know, I know. I feel bad taking money from you, like I’m taking advantage of you,” I tried to keep the pain out of my voice, but I knew it seeped in. “I know that you don’t feel that way, but I can’t help how it makes me feel.”

“Sweetheart,” when he spoke, it was with his whole heart. I could tell he didn’t pity me, we’d already had that fight, but he spoke with love, “Your ex really did a number on you, didn’t he?” He sighed, “Fuck, I wish I could punch that dickhead in the mouth.”

“I…”

“No, just listen.” He paused, “We’re getting married. I know we don’t have a date yet, but it’s going to happen. What’s mine will be yours. Let’s just make it yours a little sooner.”

“Seb…”

“Please, baby girl. If I were there, I would be down on my knees begging you. I miss you. I miss holding you in my arms at night, falling asleep with the scent of you surrounding me. I miss waking up next to you, no matter how grouchy you are in the morning. All I want is for forever to start now.” He sighed, “Don’t you want that too?”

I took a minute to think, not responding. On the other side of the phone, he waited for me. He knew that sometimes I needed a moment of quiet to think things through. “I’m sorry.”

He sighed, “I can’t…”

“Let me finish,” I said sharply. My voice softened, “I’m sorry that I’ve been so pigheaded and obstinate about this. I just don’t like feeling as if I’m using you for your money. And before you argue again, I know that I wouldn’t be, I’m just not used to people caring for me.” I rubbed my eyes, trying to figure out how to word this, “I know that I have you, but sometimes, it still doesn’t feel real. I’m just scared, Seb.”

“Of what?” his voice was so gentle, it nearly made me cry.

“Of being happy and...” My breath shuddered, “And losing you.”

“Baby girl, I wish I was there right now to hug you. You’re not going to lose me.”

Once he said those words to me, I knew there was only one answer, “Yes.”

“Yes?”

“I need to put in my two weeks notice, but I can be there by the end of the month.”

“Are you sure?” my heart hurt to hear the question in his voice. “I don’t want you to do something you’ll regret.”

“The only thing I regret is not moving there sooner.” I used my best no-nonsense voice, “But I’m still going to find a job, even if it’s at Starbucks.”

“I would expect nothing less.”

May 31

The movers carried my last box up the stairs, and I didn’t even argue when Sebastian brought out his wallet to give them a tip. Once they were gone, he pulled me into his arms, kissing me gently, “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Have I told you how sorry I am that I made us wait so long?” I threaded my hands into his hair, enjoying the feeling of the shaggy locks. His Marvel show had finished filming, so he hadn’t cut it in a while. It wasn’t long, but long enough that I could really sink my fingers into it. My eyes met his and I smiled, “I can’t believe I wasted so much time being…”

“Stubborn?” Sebastian laughed, “I love you, Daisy. We’re still young. We have the rest of our lives together, I’m not worried about a few months.” He pulled back, looking at me seriously, “There was something I wanted to talk to you about, but I’m not sure how you’ll take it.”

“You can talk to me about anything, Seb. You know that.”

“I want you to travel with me.” He placed a hand over my mouth to stop me from saying anything, “Just hear me out. If you get a job, I’ll have to be away from you for weeks at a time. I’m on the road more often then I’m home.”

I pulled his hand away from my face, “Do others have their girlfriends travel with them?”

“First, you’re my fiance, not my girlfriend. And pretty soon you’ll be my wife.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“No,” he rested his forehead on mine, “they don’t. Or at least, most don’t. But for most people in this business, the time apart is good for them. On the other hand, I want to spend all my time with you.”

“You said I could get a job,” I didn’t argue, just brought up the thing he had promised me. “I love you, but… What if you get sick of me?”

“I will never get sick of you, baby girl.” He kissed the tip of my nose, “I want you to travel with me. Remember what I said? I want to fall asleep with you in my arms, wake up next to you. Every day. I’ll be busy working, but I’ll get to see you, and that’s all that I care about.”

“But… Your money isn’t… I need to contribute. We’re not even married yet.”

He let go of me, walking over to the fridge to grab a beer. He didn’t look at me while he opened it, taking a long swig. When he turned back he said, his voice emotionless, “It’s fine. Just pretend I didn’t ask.”

The emptiness in his voice hurt worse than anger would have. I took a step closer, stopping when he looked at me, eyes blank. “Seb, why now? Why couldn’t you have waited until after we were married?” He didn’t respond and I got mad, “Really? You chide me for running away and now what are you doing? Withdrawing emotionally is the same fucking thing as running away. Can’t you see how hard this is for me? I never thought I would get married, let alone marry a man I’m desperately in love with. I just don’t want you to ever feel like I’m using you.” I closed my eyes, trying not to cry, “Do you really want me to just say yes? That I’ll follow you wherever you go? Will that make you happy? Then, fine. Yes. I’ll do it.”

“I don’t want you to do it just for me,” he said softly.

“I want to spend every day with you, but I can’t let you just take care of everything. That’s not who I am.” I walked over to him, cupping his cheek with my palm, “I need to feel useful. If you had just waited until we were married to ask, this…”

Sebastian smiled, “Fine, let’s get married then. Today.” 

“Wait, what?” I couldn’t understand what he was asking of me.

“We’ll go to the courthouse and get married. You don’t want a big wedding anyway, remember? I just want to spend the rest of my life with you, Daisy. And if that means marrying you right now so we can be together, even when I’m filming, I’ll do it.”

“I don’t want you to do this just because I’m being difficult,” my hand rested on his chest as I looked into his eyes. “I want to marry you, but I don’t mind waiting so you can have the ceremony I know you want.”

“Baby girl, all I want is you.” He kisses me softly, “Let’s get hitched. Today. We’ll run down to the courthouse and do this. Please, say yes.”

“I’ve already said yes, Seb.” I looked into his eyes, searching for any hesitation, “Are you absolutely sure this is what you want? I don’t want you to hate me in five years because you didn’t get the big church wedding.”

“I will never hate you for that because I’ll have you.” He held me close, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear, “All I want is you, forever.” He pulled me to the bedroom, “Actually, I have a surprise for you.”

“Oh, God, not another one.” I groaned, “Surprises don’t really seem to go our way.”

He stopped me in front of the closet, “Close your eyes.” I did as he asked, standing there as I heard him open the closet and pull something out. “When I saw you in this, I couldn’t send it back. Open your eyes, baby girl.”

He held the dress from the Knives Out premiere. My mouth fell open as I stared at him holding that gorgeous dress, “You didn’t.”

“I did.” Moving toward me, he held it out until I took it from him, “You can wear it when we go to the courthouse. I know it’s not a wedding dress, but…”

“I love you,” I said in barely a whisper.

“I love you, too.”

The ceremony at the courthouse was simple and happy. I wore the dress, scared with every step that I would ruin it. He already had the wedding rings, having purchased them at the same time as my engagement ring. The courthouse had people who would stand with us as witnesses, but I still worried that he would be upset he didn’t have anyone there. But when he took my hand and told me how much he loved me, swearing to be with me through thick and thin, my heart melted.

After we were married and back at the condo, I couldn’t stop looking at my rings. This giddy feeling inside of me wouldn’t stop. I floated back to the bedroom, taking my dress off as I walked down the hallway. As I hung it up, placing it back into the closet, Sebastian wrapped his arms around me from behind, the soft fabric of his suit pressed against my back.

One hand slipped between my thighs as he kissed the side of my neck, “I’ve missed you so much, beautiful.”

Turning around, I wrapped my arms around his neck, “I’ve missed you too. But you know what else I’ve missed?” I pulled away and went over to the bed, crawling to the center. Crooking my finger, I beckoned him over. Enjoying the show as he took off his clothes, dropping them on the floor as he moved closer to me.  He slid between my thighs, lining up at my entrance. Slowly he pushed in, all while he kissed me, hands tangled in my hair. Our lovemaking was slow and sweet, more a joining of souls than anything else. It felt like we were truly becoming one.

After, we laid in bed, wrapped in each other's arms. His fingers tracing patterns on my back, “If you could do anything at all, what would that be?”

“Why?” I snuggled closer, enjoying the feeling of his body next to mine.

“Humor me, I'm just curious.”

“I would write. I’ve always wanted to be a published author.”

His fingers stilled, then returned back to their movements, “You can do that while traveling with me. When I’m at work, you can be writing.” I pushed myself up to look down at him. He smiled, “I love you, baby girl. I know you won’t be happy just following me around. But I really want you with me. And, the two stories that you read to me were fantastic. Remember, Robert wants to get you a job writing screenplays. Scarlett has read all of your fanfictions. She told me that they were really good. I know you can do it, I have faith in you.”

“You really think I can do it?”

“I know you can.” He pulled my face down, kissing me gently, “I love you. I want you to do what makes you happy. And if that’s writing and getting published, then we’ll get you published. If it’s eating bonbons and writing erotic fanfiction, then do that.”

I climbed out of bed to grab my laptop, bringing it back with me. Leaning against the headboard, I turned it on and opened a word document. Sebastian chuckled, “What are you doing, baby girl?”

“You said to write, so I’m going to write.” I leaned over and kissed him quickly, “I just want to get this out before I forget, then we can go to sleep.” Staring at the screen, my fingers hovered over the keyboard. I grinned because the book I wanted to write would be the best story I could tell. One letter at a time, I typed out the title - Loving An Avenger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter! I really loved writing this story. Romance makes me happy, and even though Daisy was stubborn and cranky, they ended up being happy. I hope everyone enjoyed the ride as much as I did.


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